Datasets:

AyoubChLin
/

CNN_News_Articles_2011-2022

Dataset card Viewer Files Files and versions Community

Split (2)

train · 32.2k rows

text stringlengths 1 112k ⌀	label class label 6 classes
(CNN)The arrest warrant for an NFL player accused of punching and stomping on a man at a Las Vegas nightclub during the Pro Bowl weekend provides additional details of what police say occurred.According to an arrest warrant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department filed last week that was obtained by CNN affiliate KSNV, Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Lammons is accused of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery in the incident that police say also involved New Orleans Saints player Alvin Kamara, who faces the same charges. Surveillance video from February 5 allegedly shows Lammons punching a man in the face and knocking him back against a wall after Kamara pushed the man, according to the warrant. The victim's name has not been released.Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons is suspected by police of participating in a fight alongside New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara during the NFL's Pro Bowl weekendKamara allegedly punched the man several times until he was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground, according to the February 13 warrant. Kamara continued to punch the man, and Lammons and two others began stomping on the man, the warrant says. Two other men were also charged in the altercation.Read MoreThe man's right eye sustained an orbital fracture that might require surgery, according to the warrant. It said there was no evidence of major injuries. Lammons was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on February 17 and has since posted bail, according to charging documents. CNN has reached out to Lammons' attorney but has not yet heard back.Kamara, who participated in the Pro Bowl the day after the fight, was interviewed and arrested after the game at Allegiant Stadium. He posted bail the next day, according a court docket. Roger Goodell says police told NFL before Pro Bowl that Alvin Kamara was a suspect in a case but would wait until after game for interviewKamara told police that he and his friends were waiting by an elevator when a man approached them and called one of his friends "ugly," according to the LVMPD arrest report for Kamara.The man, according to Kamara, also said, "'I'll whoop your ass too,'" the report states. In a statement to CNN after Kamara's arrest, his attorney said the five-time Pro Bowler "has gained a well-deserved reputation for being a hard-working and community minded individual."The recent Las Vegas allegations are not consistent with who Mr. Kamara has shown himself to be in both his public and private life. Therefore, we are conducting our own investigation into all of the circumstances and individuals associated with this matter to determine both the facts and motivations of all involved." CNN's Kaylene Chassie contributed to this report.	5sport
(CNN)The Williams sisters rolled back the years on Monday as both stormed to straight-set victories in the Australian Open first round.Serena, 39, thrashed Laura Siegemund 6-1 6-1 shortly after her older sister Venus, 40, powered past Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-2.It was a statement win for Serena who is bidding for a record-equaling 24th career grand slam title.After weeks of drama and setbacks, the Australian Open kicks offIn truth, Serena rarely has problems with first-round matches at grand slams. She's lost just one of 77 in her long career and rarely looked troubled against Siegemund despite coming into the tournament nursing a shoulder injury. Serena hit 16 winners and four aces to brush aside Siegemund in 56 minutes and set up a meeting with Serbia's Nina Stojanovic in the second round. Read More"This was a good start. Definitely vintage 'Rena,'" said Serena, who is a seven-time Australian Open champion, in her on-court interview after her victory. "It's definitely good. I think I'm pretty good at pacing myself in a grand slam.""I was happy just to get through it. Wasn't sure how my serve would be after a little bit of that shoulder, but it's feeling good, I'm feeling good." READ: Six years after his grandmother passed away, Kyrgios grapples with demonsSerena Williams serves against Laura Siegemund at the Australian Open.Venus on form It was also a good day for Venus, who made a strong start to the tournament shortly before Serena took to the court. The 40-year-old Venus came from a break down in the first set to beat Belgium's Flipkens in a powerful display of grit and determination. Venus, who has overcome a host of injuries and health complications in her career, is playing in her 88th grand slam main draw in Melbourne."I'm trying to get better every day," said Venus, who will face Italy's Sara Errani in the next round."I think that no matter what happens to you in life, you always hold your head up high, you give a hundred million percent. That's what I do every single day. That's something that I can be proud of."READ: Australian Open players in quarantine test negative Both wins come shortly before Tom Brady, 43, secures a seventh Super Bowl titleAge is just a number The Williams sisters' wins came just hours before 43-year-old Tom Brady secured his seventh Super Bowl title proving yet again that in sport, as in life, age is just a number.As she fulfilled her media requirements after winning her match, Serena had one eye on what was going on back home in the US."My only word is it's unbelievable. You can't say it was the system he was at formerly. It's definitely Tom Brady, he's Tom Brady. He's amazing," she said later, having quickly caught up with the news back in the locker room. Elsewhere in Melbourne, Naomi Osaka breezed into the second round after a 6-1 6-2 victory against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The US Open champion will face Caroline Garcia in the next round.Reigning champion Novak Djokovic began the defense of his title in style, beating France's Jeremy Chardy in straight sets 6-3 6-1 6-2.The 17-time grand slam winner was comfortable throughout and has his eyes set on a record-extending ninth Australian Open title. "There is an ongoing love affair with me and this court. I wanted to start off well," Djokovic told reporters after the match. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios cruised through his first-round match with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory over Frederico Ferreira Silva.The Australian hasn't played a grand slam match in over a year, opting not to travel to the US Open amid the pandemic, and admitted being nervous when walking out on court. "I was very fortunate that Covid didn't affect me or my family. I used it as a massive reset and I'm just glad to be back out here," he told reporters.	5sport
Story highlightsThe future of the European Tour's Race to Dubai is secure until 2014The World Tour Championship will also take place in Dubai for next three yearsPrize fund for Race to Dubai and season-ending tournament has been increasedLuke Donald made history in Dubai on Sunday with his money list triumphGolf's European Tour has reached a new agreement to continue the Race to Dubai and keep the lucrative season-ending championship in the United Arab Emirates until the end of 2014.The 2011 circuit came to an close on Sunday, when world number one Donald made history by becoming the first player to win both the European and PGA Tour money lists.The Dubai World Championship, won by Spaniard Alvaro Quiros with Donald third, will be renamed the DP World Tour Championship to reflect the new main sponsor -- Dubai-based marine port operator DP World.Its prize fund will increase by $500,000 to $8 million, with the tournament winner receiving a check for $1.33 million, and Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course will again be the host venue.Tiger holds no terror for golf's new world order"We are delighted to be announcing the start of a new phase for the Race to Dubai and, specifically, the newly-retitled DP World Tour Championship," European Tour chief executive George O'Grady said in a statement.The Race to Dubai was first contested in 2009, replacing the Order of Merit format which had been in place since 1999. This year it comprised 52 tournaments across 29 destinations.The new bonus pool, currently $7.5 million to be shared by the top 15 players at season's end, has yet to be finalized.The World Tour Championship is contested between the top 60 players on the money list, and the 2012 edition will be played November 22-25."The Dubai World Championship has enjoyed considerable success over the last three years on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates," said Ali Ahmed Rashid Lootah, chairman of Nakheel, the construction company which manages the venue."The achievement of this event to date has projected this sporting spectacle onto the world stage and created enormous interest from golf enthusiasts around the globe."The first European Tour tournament of 2012 is the Africa Open in South Africa from January 6. It was won this year by home favorite Louis Oosthuizen.	5sport
London (CNN)London police charged a man Sunday with the murder of a pregnant woman who was stabbed to death in June, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Sunday.Paramedics had to deliver Kelly Mary Fauvrelle's son in an emergency procedure after she died in the early hours of the morning on June 29. The newborn, who was named Riley, died in hospital several days later on July 3.Police said a 25-year-old man, named Aaron McKenzie, was charged Sunday with killing both Fauvrelle and her son, and with possession of an offensive weapon.Fauvrelle was approximately eight months pregnant when she was attacked in her bedroom at Thornton Heath, south London, while the rest of her family was at home, Britain's Press Association (PA) news agency reported. Police and forensic officers at the scene where Fauvrelle was attacked.Police previously arrested two other men on suspicion of murder, but a 37-year-old man was released with no further action and a 29-year-old was released on bail.Read MoreMcKenzie, who has been charged with murder and manslaughter is due to appear in court on Monday.Knife crime has become a national crisis in the UK, where police recorded a total of 40,577 offenses involving a knife or sharp instrument last year -- 10,000 more than in 2011.Few weekends pass without reports of knife violence, and flowers laid on London street corners serve as near-daily reminders of its results. In June, two teenagers died moments apart on a bloody Friday night in London when four people were stabbed and a teenager was shot dead, in a spate of separate incidents.	3news
Story highlightsWorld Tour Finals start Sunday in London Djokovic can return to No. 1 Murray has never reached the final at the eventRoger Federer and Rafael Nadal absent (CNN)Andy Murray this week ended Novak Djokovic's two-year reign atop the rankings in men's tennis but the Scot's stay at No. 1 could be a short one -- and he knows it. "I might as well try and enjoy it because I could lose it at the tour finals and never be there again," Murray told reporters, referring to the year-end championships, which start Sunday in London.Follow @cnnsport Indeed, Djokovic can regain the top position on Nov. 21 and finish the season as No. 1 for the third straight time with a strong showing at the World Tour Finals. The 29-year-old has certainly fared well at the O2 Arena, winning a record four consecutive titles and if he makes it five in a row while winning at least two of his round-robin matches, Djokovic is guaranteed to seize back the No. 1 ranking from Murray. Read: Murray replaces Djokovic as No. 1 Photos: Eight of the bestAndy Murray, Scotland, No. 1 – Murray has the highest win percentage on the tour this year and, having followed in the footsteps of Tim Henman (2003) and Greg Rudedski (1998) with victory at the Paris Masters earlier in November, he's now attempting to become the first Brit in history to win the ATP World Tour Finals. A "Group of Death" stands in his way -- with world No.3 Stan Wawrinka having won seven of his 16 matches against Murray in his career. But, in the midst of a 19-match winning streak, Murray won't want to concede the world No.1 spot any time soon. • Titles in 2016: 8 - Wimbledon, Olympics, Queen's Club, Paris Masters, Rome Masters, China Open, Shanghai Masters, Vienna Open• Aces in 2016: 527• Win percentage in 2016: 89% -- highest of the eight contendersHide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestStan Wawrinka, Switzerland, No. 3 – Facing world No.1s in major finals, Wawrinka has never lost -- beating Rafa Nadal in Melbourne (2014), Djokovic at Roland Garros (2015) and the Serb once again at this year's US Open. A man for the big occasion, Wawrinka holds a 100% record against Djokovic in grand slam deciders, but has never otherwise beaten him (0-19). With the US Open title to his name, Wawrinka became the oldest Grand Slam champion (31) since Andre Agassi at the 2003 Australian Open. A remarkable run of winning 11 straight finals only came to an end when he suffered a shock loss in St Petersburg to Alexander Zverev -- citing him as the "future of tennis." • Titles in 2016: 4 - US Open, Geneva Open, Dubai Championships, Chennai Open • Aces in 2016: 436• Win percentage in 2016: 74%Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestKei Nishikori, Japan, No. 5 – The highest-ranked Asian player in ATP history, Kei Nishikori captured a fourth straight title at the Memphis Open in February before going on to win Olympic singles bronze in Rio, beating Nadal in three sets. Nishikori, 26, is the first Japanese singles medalist since Ichiya Kumagae at Antwerp 1920. • Titles in 2016: 1 - Memphis Open• Aces in 2016: 245• Win percentage in 2016: 76%Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestMarin Cilic, Croatia, No. 7 – Standing at 198cm, Cilic is the tallest of the ATP finalists and a full 20cm taller than opponent Nishikori. He reached a third consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2016, but lost out to Roger Federer despite leading by two sets and holding three match points. Capping a resurgent end to 2016, Cilic has led Croatia to the Davis Cup final with wins over Belgium, USA and France, and will take to the court against Del Potro's Argentina later in November. Murray partly has Cilic to thank for his No. 1 berth -- he upset Djokovic with a supreme display of power tennis in the Paris Masters quarterfinal, beating the Serbian for the first time in his 15th attempt. • Titles in 2016: 2 Cincinnati Masters, Swiss Indoors Basel• Aces in 2016: 636• Win percentage in 2016: 69%Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestNovak Djokovic, Serbia, No. 2 – Djokovic became just the third man in history to hold all four majors at once when he won the French Open in June, and the first player to surpass $100 million in prize money. For now, his throne has been seized by Murray, but it would surely be unwise to write him off; Djokovic is bidding to capture his fifth successive ATP World Finals title, and would move ahead of Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl in the overall list of winners, equaling Federer with a sixth title. The Serb has never lost to any of his opponents in the Ivan Lendl group -- Gael Monfils (13-0), Dominic Thiem (3-0) and Milos Raonic (7-0) -- and still retains a 71% career win percentage against Murray. • Titles in 2016: 7 - Roland Garros, Australian Open, Canada Masters, Miami Masters, Madrid Masters, Indian Wells, Qatar Open• Aces in 2016: 264• Win percentage in 2016: 88%Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestMilos Raonic, Canada, No. 4 – Already the first Canadian man to break into the ATP top 10, Raonic became the first to reach a major singles final when he met Murray at Wimbledon. That coveted first Grand Slam title may have evaded him, but he did take the Brisbane International at the turn of the year. Raonic nailed a slam dunk at the 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, helping Canada beat USA 74-64. And his 6-feet 4-inch stature also helps him on the tennis court ... He wins 90.6% of service games -- the third highest percentage on the tour in the past year (after Ivo Karlovic and John Isner) -- and has the fastest serve (career-best 155.3 miles per hour) of all the ATP World Tour finalists. The Canadian, 25, has also saved an impressive 70.2% of break points -- the highest proportion of the eight. • Titles in 2016: 1 - Brisbane International • Win percentage in 2016: 77%• Aces in 2016: 824Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestGael Monfils, France, No. 6 – For so long looked upon as an entertainer rather than a genuine threat, Monfils is making his ATP World Tour Finals debut in 2016, having produced a career-best season in his 30th year. He reached his first Grand Slam semifinal for eight years at Flushing Meadow, and though he may have eventually lost out to Djokovic, he boasts a higher break point conversion percentage than any other player at the finals. It's been a promising year for the Frenchman; consistency allied with his undeniable talent could see Monfils finally hit the heights he's hinted at. • Titles in 2016: 1 - Washington Citi Open• Aces in 2016: 471• Win percentage in 2016: 75%Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Eight of the bestDominic Thiem, Austria, No. 8 – The last man to qualify for this year's event, Thiem is the youngest player at the finals and the first Austrian to take part in the singles since former world No.1 Thomas Muster in 1997. He may have lost out to Djokovic at Roland Garros -- his first ever grand slam semifinal -- but boasts a 90.9% win percentage in deciding sets in 2016 -- the highest proportion of any player on the tour to have started 25 matches or more. Not bad at all for a 23-year-old.• Aces in 2016: 462• Win percentage in 2016: 72%• Titles in 2016: 4 - Stuttgart's Mercedes Cup, Open de Nice Cote d'Azur, Acapulco's Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Argentina OpenHide Caption 8 of 8Read MoreDjokovic, however, has struggled since winning the grand slam he craved, the French Open, in June.A loss of motivation, personal issues and injuries have slowed the Serb, who became the first man in 47 years to claim four straight majors when he defeated Murray in the final at Roland Garros. His ties to a "spiritual guru" and former Spanish pro, Pepe Imaz, raised eyebrows, especially since his usual coaches, Boris Becker and Marian Vajda, didn't accompany him at the recently concluded Paris Masters, where Djokovic relinquished the No. 1 ranking. The mantra of Imaz's "tennis group" in Marbella is: "We truly believe love is the way to live life." Becker and Vajda are expected to return to the Djokovic camp in London and helping Djokovic is that, seemingly, he drew the easier group in the eight-man tournament, having never lost to group rivals Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem. But then Djokovic had never tasted defeat to Marin Cilic in 14 matches -- before losing to the Croat in the City of Light. The #ATPFinals draw is done ✅ The groups are set ✅ The battle for year-end No1 could come down to the wire @TheO2: https://t.co/PdDuooaFnu pic.twitter.com/RHUleEAb78— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 7, 2016 Here is a break down of the groups. John McEnroe group: Andy Murray. The Scot became a dad this year for the first time, which he says has been instrumental to his success in 2016 as he won a second Wimbledon title and retained his Olympic crown. But it was after the Olympics that he truly stormed to the No. 1 ranking, despite a blip at the US Open. Murray has won 19 straight matches, dropping a mere four sets during the streak. He is bidding to make the final at the year-end championships for the first time. Murray surely won't be taking his group rivals lightly: Stan Wawrinka has beaten Murray in three of their past four meetings, with Cilic and Kei Nishikori getting the better of Murray in August and September, respectively. Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss is adamant that he shouldn't be part of any "Big Five" in tennis due to his lack of consistency -- compared, that is, to Djokovic, Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Yet Federer's fellow Swiss continues to prove he is a man for the big occasion, winning a grand slam for three straight seasons. When he toppled Djokovic in the US Open final, he did so from a set down. Wawrinka's lovely -- and bulldozing -- one-handed backhand garners much attention but his forehand is, too, one of the most powerful around. Read: "Stanimal" stuns DjokovicKei Nishikori. The Japanese star put in a lackluster performance against Murray at the Olympics but turned it around in New York, outlasting Murray in a pulsating five-setter in the quarterfinals. Injuries continue to hamper Nishikori -- he retired at Wimbledon and then at home in Tokyo -- yet when the Japanese shot-maker is fit and on his game, he possesses the weapons to beat just about anyone. And if matches go to a deciding third or fifth set, his career record is stellar, despite a reverse to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Paris: 99-27. Marin Cilic. The Croat, the 2014 US Open winner -- he beat Nishikori in the final -- is arguably the second most in-form player at the event after Murray. He won the Swiss Indoors over Nishikori and reached the semifinals at the Paris Masters, one day after finally ending his seismic slump against Djokovic. Especially on faster surfaces the 6-feet 6-inch Cilic is a threat: He has a huge serve, impressive two-handed backhand and isn't afraid to play at the net. Cilic's forehand could be the key, though. Prone to wavering, when the forehand is stable it spells trouble for his peers. He is the latest player at the World Tour Finals to play in the Davis Cup final post London. Ivan Lendl group: Novak Djokovic. Can Djokovic replicate his early season performances when he plays at the O2 Arena? His fans hope so. Onlookers might get a feel for Djokovic's form when he challenges Thiem to open the singles on Sunday. Djokovic's much publicized struggles may lead some to wonder if his most dominant stretch of tennis is behind him, although even if the Serb falters at the World Tour Finals, a better gauge would be at January's Australian Open, where he has won the title five times in six seasons. Thank you #NoleFam for your support! You are amazing!!!! See u in London 👏🏼😁💚— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 7, 2016 Milos Raonic. The Canadian, fourth in aces in 2016, began his campaign with a bang in Melbourne, making the semifinals. Some, too, would argue that if he hadn't sustained an injury he would have ousted Murray after holding a 2-1 lead in sets. Raonic shone again at Wimbledon by advancing to a first grand slam final -- Murray beat him again -- but the injuries have hit him recently. Raonic pulled out of his semifinal against Murray in Paris with a thigh injury and said last week he was unsure of competing in London. Belgium's David Goffin is the first alternate. Read: Raonic upsets Federer at WimbledonGael Monfils. Ever the showman, Monfils was more focused on court this year -- his bizarre antics against Djokovic at the US Open notwithstanding -- and his spot at the year-end championships for the first time is the reward. The Frenchman managed to qualify for London even after missing the French Open due to illness and suffering physically at other stages of the season. Monfils reached the quarterfinals or better at 10 tournaments, highlighted by a semifinal run in New York and final in Monte Carlo. Who will win the World Tour Finals? Have your say on CNN's Sport Facebook pageDominic Thiem. Just 23, Thiem is the youngest member of the field. His has been a tale of two seasons. Up until the week before Wimbledon the huge-hitting Austrian compiled a 48-12 record, beat the likes of Federer and Nadal and made his first grand slam semifinal at the French Open. But his record from the start of Wimbledon through the Paris Masters slumped to 11-10. Why the dip? The issue for Thiem appears to be playing too much: No one inside the top 20 has played more than Thiem's 27 tournaments this year.	5sport
Story highlightsRugby is helping to heal in RwandaPost-genocide, game has played a key roleBrit volunteer helped bring the game there (CNN)Kamanda Tharcisse's voice is barely a whisper as he recalls the events of the Rwandan genocide of 1994.An estimated one million people were killed during a 100-day period, among them Tharcisse's father and two brothers. Aged 13, he was forced to flee his home and then the supposed safe shelter of a camp to stay alive with his mother, sisters and remaining brothers.However, he has been able to slowly and steadily heal his emotional wounds thanks to an unlikely source of solace -- the game of rugby."With rugby, I feel alive," says Tharcisse, one of the country's first players, a former international with national side the Silverbacks, and now the general secretary of Rwandan Rugby. "I feel like I'm running to the future," he adds.Read More"It can bring you great joy and you don't think about the past. When rugby started here, people were still thinking about the past, about the genocide. The game just brings so much unity with other people."'Seeking a purpose'Prior to 2001, rugby barely existed in the "Land of a Thousand Hills." Bar the occasional game between ex-pats, it was unheard of in the East African country. Football was king, and still is -- the other key sports in Rwanda being basketball, volleyball and cycling.JUST WATCHEDThe 'Rugby Cranes' on the riseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe 'Rugby Cranes' on the rise 01:32But that all changed in 2001, with the visit of a British charity worker seeking to find a purpose in life.Emma Rees was unsure what to do after completing her university degree, and traveled to Rwanda with Voluntary Service Overseas.She started throwing around a rugby ball with school kids, and has since become a sort of modern-day William Webb Ellis -- the schoolboy credited as being rugby's original founder in the 1820s -- for one particular country.Rees first took the game to schools, and the following year the Ministry of Sport granted approval for the formation of the Rwandan Rugby Federation. Two years later the Friends of Rwandan Rugby charity was formed.READ: The female William Webb EllisREAD: Uganda's 'Cranes' rise on a hymn and a prayer'Trying to move on'The charity's treasurer Deena Aiken, a former Australian rugby international, spent 14 months in Rwanda at one point in the role -- as she puts it -- "living in a mud hut.""Without doubt, the reason I still volunteer 15 to 20 hours a week is because of the stories you hear," she says, citing one tale from a rugby development officer in the north.JUST WATCHEDRwandan athletes embrace a new sportReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRwandan athletes embrace a new sport 08:58JUST WATCHEDLearning about AIDS through sportsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLearning about AIDS through sports 06:26"There were two families there that lived next door to each other but had not spoken since the early '90s," Aiken says. "But the children started playing rugby and suddenly the families were coming back from rugby and talking. They finally had something to talk about."And there's countless stories like that. You hear stories of how boys would dress up like girls in a dress, or hide in a swamp for a whole month just to escape, and these are guys I know today. They don't talk about it very often because they're all trying to move on."Modern-day Rwanda is irrevocably interlinked with the genocide, nearly quarter of a century later.The volume of Tharcisse's voice drops as he discusses it. "Two brothers and my father died," he says. "But for me now, today, I feel okay. I feel interested in life and I think my family are proud."I remember when I first invited them to watch, they thought, 'What is this odd game?' But they're very happy that rugby has given me a job. It's changed my life."READ: South Africa's 'Wizard of Welkom' runs for freedomREAD: The headache that ends careers'Dreams come true'Rugby is still very much in its infancy in Rwanda, and did not receive full international membership until August 2015. Very humbling afternoon and first day in #rwanda and a very warm welcome be everyone @rwandaolympic Look forward to the week ahead in #Kigali #rugby #rugby7s #growingthegame #rugbyfamily #rugbybuildscharacter #rugbyunion #rugbysevens A post shared by Scott Wight (@swight10) on Sep 28, 2016 at 1:44pm PDT The Silverbacks are ranked 96th out of 103 nations in the World Rugby listings, sandwiched between the Solomon Islands and Bulgaria. The team played in the fourth tier of the 2016 African Cup, losing to DR Congo in the East Division final in Kigali.Tharcisse was one of Rees' first converts, playing at his secondary school, Groupe Scolaire Shyogwe. Initially he was bemused, but became enraptured with the sport.It has become his job as the boss of Rwandan Rugby -- based in the capital Kigali -- to spread the message of the game, particularly in schools.He now has five development officers under his tutelage, and the sport is played in 74 primary and 56 secondary schools.With his own international career over -- Rwanda currently play the likes of Zambia and Mauritius -- Tharcisse allows himself to dream about the future."It's happened already so I can say that dreams come true," he adds. "Maybe we can get to the stage where we're competing for the World Cup in a few years time. We're also pushing in sevens and trying to play against sides in Kenya and Uganda that are are in the World Series. These are countries we need to learn from."READ: 'Sir Titch' takes on island challengeREAD: Fearless Boks legend 'broke the mold'Scottish supportThere are nine teams in the Rwandan League and some 600 senior players, while the sport has the backing of the country's premier Paul Kagame. In addition, Rwanda has competed at the Kowloon 10s, an event associated with the Hong Kong Sevens.Aiken helped teach Kagame's children how to play rugby, while former Scotland national XVs coach Frank Hadden and sevens specialist Scott Wight have visited to provide coaching support, and Welsh clubs have donated kit for players to wear.Photos from yesterday's Resilience win @RTBRFC @RwandanRugby @welshclubrugby Any clubs with spare kit? It will go to a good home! pic.twitter.com/jiYtK4TdX8— mary watkins (@marywatkins7) February 27, 2017 The Scottish link started at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, when the country's local councils were asked to "Support a Second Team." Rwanda was paired with East Lothian, and sent athletes to Scotland prior to the competition.In return, with the help of the Scottish Rugby Union, Wight traveled to Rwanda in September last year to work with a group of 20 players aged under 20."I really enjoyed the whole experience. It was so humbling learning about what the country has been through with the genocide to where it is now," he tells CNN. "But most importantly the thing I enjoyed most was the attitude and desire of all the kids in showing me the willingness to learn and get individually better at rugby."Wight says there is "a massive amount of talent and a really bright future there," though Rees admits to a modicum of frustration that she has not achieved more since her first visit to Rwanda."I don't want to sound negative but the potential for rugby's not been fully met there," she says, "but I'm really proud of the kids we've got playing and that some of those kids are now coaches."READ: China's $100M 'olive ball' missionREAD: The double life of 'Super Maro'Building to the futureRees describes post-genocide Rwanda in 2001 as "still being raw, the place very basic, but the kids wanting to talk about their experiences."She laughs at the idea that she went there planning to launch some rugby revolution.Rwanda Rugby Annual General meeting held at Mahoro Stadium. Rwanda is now ready for 2017 ! pic.twitter.com/lJ8HF6vtZe— Rugby Afrique (@RugbyAfrique) December 23, 2016 "Football, basketball and volleyball were basically the only sports you could play then," she says. "It was a bit selfish as I just wanted access to rugby. I just taught some kids to share my passion and it went from there."Rees and Aiken say the steady rise of the sport in Rwanda is partly thanks to Jean-Luc Barthes, the former rugby services manager for Africa at the international game's governing body.Aiken says his death in February 2016 has "left a vacuum" but she believes that a place in the Sevens World Series in the next 25 years would be a realistic achievement for the Silverbacks.For now, rugby continues to play its role in healing the divide between the rival Hutu and Tutsi tribes, who had previously been at war but now live as neighbors."Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa," Aiken explains. "So in this whole process there's a pragmatism in that a lot of people have no choice but to move on. Have your say on our Facebook pageVisit cnn.com/rugby for more news and videos"They have to build to the future, and rugby is helping with that."	5sport
(CNN)A 2-year-old girl has been rescued from a collapsed building nearly 91 hours after a devastating earthquake hit the Aegean coastal Turkish city of Izmir on Friday.Rescuers found Ayda Gezgin next to a sturdy dishwasher that apparently shielded her from the impact of the damage. Rescue workers called the space she was lying in a "life triangle."Ayda called out for her mother as she was carried on a stretcher to an ambulance. "Mom. I want my mom," she said.Rescuers recovered Ayda's mother's dead body just hours after the girl's rescue, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). She was lying next to Ayda under the rubble.Ayda was found next to a dishwasher that apparently helped shield her from the impact of the damage.At least 105 people died and 1,027 were injured in Turkey after the earthquake -- measured as magnitude-7.0 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) -- struck in the Aegean Sea on Friday, shaking parts of Greece and Turkey.Read MoreThe quake struck 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) northeast of the town of Néon Karlovásion on Samos, the USGS reported, at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicenter.More than 1,508 aftershocks have been registered since the initial quake, 44 of them with a magnitude above 4.0, Turkey's disaster agency said. The earthquake also triggered what authorities called a "mini tsunami," causing streets to flood Friday in parts of Turkey's wider Izmir province, as well as on Samos.3-year-old girl rescued alive after 65 hours trapped under rubble in Turkey earthquake"We heard her scream. We asked her what her name is... She said, 'I'm fine.' We asked her to wave her hand and she did," rescue worker Nusret Aksoy told the press. He was describing the moments before they first reached the young girl.Video of the search efforts showed rescue workers crying, clapping and praying as the 2-year-old was pulled from the rubble and wrapped in a thermal foil blanket.Ayda, who will turn 3 years old next month, appeared awake and responsive, scanning the scene with alert eyes. "We started her on IV fluids but she is doing really well. She is conscious, she has no open wounds," a member of Turkey's National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) told national broadcaster TRT. A rescue worker cradles the face of the 2-year-old in the middle of the effort to pull her from the rubble.Rescue workers said the girl asked for water and Ayran, a Turkish yogurt drink popular with children. "The first thing she asked me was about was her father," the UMKE worker said.Ayda's father was not in the building during the quake, Turkish media reported. During the search efforts, he was guiding rescue workers through his family's destroyed home, according to reports.The girl was taken to a hospital where she is being treated, according to TRT.News of Ayda's rescue came just a day after another child was found alive under the rubble and safely rescued. Three-year-old Elif Perincek was pulled out of a collapsed apartment building on Monday after 65 hours under the rubble.Rescue efforts are ongoing at five of the 17 collapsed building sites in Izmir, the emergency response directorate said.	3news
(CNN)Italian soccer great Paolo Rossi has died at the age of 64, according to Italy's national public broadcaster RAI.Rossi is best known for leading Italy to World Cup glory in 1982, scoring six goals in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Brazil in the second group stage.Rossi's wife, Federica Cappelletti, posted on Instagram a photo of her and Paolo with the caption "Per Sempre," which translates to "Forever."She did not disclose the cause of his death. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Federica Cappelletti (@cappellettifederica) Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian soccer players of all time, he scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Azzurri. Read MoreHe netted both goals in Italy's World Cup semifinal win against Poland in 1982 and the opening goal as the Italians beat West Germany 3-1 in the final, finishing the tournament in Spain with the Golden Boot as top scorer. The former Vicenza, Juventus and AC Milan player was also awarded the Golden Ball at the 1982 World Cup for the player of the tournament.In the same year, he won the Ballon d'Or, which at the time was awarded to the European footballer of the year. Only four Italians have won the prestigious award. Bruno Conti, Giancarlo Antognoni, Paolo Rossi, Dino Zoff, Francesco Graziani and Franco Selvaggi of Italy celebrate after winning the 1982 World Cup.Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina said in a statement on the governing body's official website: "The disappearance of Pablito is another deep pain, a wound to the heart of all fans, difficult to heal."We lose a friend and an icon, who dragged the (1982 World Cup) national team to success with his goals, he took an entire country by the hand, which rejoiced in the streets, for him and with him."The FIGC confirmed flags were at half mast at its headquarters in Allegri and its technical center in Coverciano.In a statement, UEFA -- European football's governing body -- said a moment of silence would be held before all of Thursday's Europa League matches in memory of the former striker. During his four years at Juventus, Rossi won two Serie A titles, the European Cup and the Coppa Italia. On its website, the club said Rossi was "the hero of an unforgettable World Cup for all of Italy, but for us he was much, much more."Paolo Rossi celebrates with Giancarlo Antognoni after scoring for Italy in the 3-2 win against Brazil at the 1982 World Cup.Prior to the 1982 World Cup, Rossi had been embroiled in the "Totonero" match-fixing scandal. Banned for three years, his punishment was subsequently reduced to two, enabling Italy coach Enzo Bearzot to include Rossi in his World Cup squad."When I started playing again after two years out it was really, really tough. And Bearzot's trust was very important, as well as the support of my team-mates," Rossi told FIFA's website in a 2007 interview.He didn't score in Italy's first four World Cup games, but then netted that memorable hat-trick against Brazil."Everything suddenly changed," Rossi told FIFA's website. "Nothing was going my way and then suddenly everything was going my way. It was suddenly all so easy. Such is the beauty of sport. A goal can change everything. In my case it changed my entire life."After his soccer career, Rossi worked as a pundit for RAI."Such terribly sad news: Paolo Rossi has left us," RAI said. "Unforgettable Pablito, who made all of us fall in love in that summer of 1982 and who was a precious and competent work colleague in RAI over recent years."Rossi is the second well known World Cup winner to die in the space of two weeks, following the death of Argentine national hero Diego Maradona in November.	5sport
(CNN)The English Premier League has seen a sharp rise in new Covid-19 cases among players as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread through Britain. From December 13 to December 19, the league reported 90 new positive cases, more than twice the total of positive tests the week before (42). Prior to that, the league saw just 100 positive tests in the four months between August 2 and December 5.The league says 77% of its players are currently vaccinated with two doses, which is considered fully vaccinated under current government guidance.However, scientists have underlined the importance of a third booster jab in successfully combating Omicron. Read MoreThe vaccination rate in England for 25-29 year-olds is 78.5% -- the average age of a Premier League player is 26.9 years-old. The league said 84% of players are currently on the "vaccination journey," having to wait the required time between jabs. The United Kingdom reported 91,743 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the second-highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic, according to government data. That is up from 82,886 cases on Sunday.The UK also reported 44 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test on Monday, bringing the death toll to 147,261 since the pandemic began. Chelsea's match against Wolves was one of the few Premier League games to go ahead this weekend. 'Proceeding with caution'The Premier League also announced on Monday that fixtures over the festive period will go ahead as planned despite a number of clubs experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks among players and staff -- 10 matches have already been postponed this month as a result. The decision was made following a virtual meeting of all 20 clubs and the league."The health and wellbeing of all concerned remains our priority and the League will continue to monitor and reflect public health guidance, always proceeding with caution," said a Premier League statement. "The League continues to work with clubs to encourage vaccination among players and club staff, as well as promoting the Government's public health vaccination messaging to clubs and the wider public."Cesar Azpilicueta: Players ready for another social media boycott if companies don't prevent abusePremier League clubs are now working under new Covid-19 protocols, which require them to follow rules such as wearing face coverings while indoors, observing social distancing and limiting treatment time. The league also increased lateral flow and PCR testing of players and staff.Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has encouraged players and the wider society to get vaccinated and says people have a moral obligation to do so. "It's a question of persuading. I think mandatory, from a moral point of view, it should be mandatory for each person I think, but not from a legal point of view," he told reporters."I don't see that but, from a moral point of view, because if I can do something that helps the people around me. Obviously people see that differently."JUST WATCHEDWhat's next for Aaron Rodgers? NFL Insider Ian Rapoport talks to New DayReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat's next for Aaron Rodgers? NFL Insider Ian Rapoport talks to New Day 03:50Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers has also urged people to get fully vaccinated.The club tweeted a picture on Monday of manager Bruno Lage and captain Conor Coady getting boosted."Everyone in our building is fully vaccinated, which is the right thing to do, especially with the increase in positive cases in the Premier League and wider society," Lage said. Each Premier League team is now set to play three times between December 26 and January 3 in what is traditionally the busiest period of fixtures in the domestic league calendar.	5sport
Story highlightsAncient trash is an important resource for archaeologistsTrash pits or "middens" tell us much about the daily life of our forebears, according to archaeologistsPeabody Museum is staging a series of lectures about the importance of trash to archaeologyScientists are studying our trash right now to find out what it says about our cultureWe may not immediately equate the activities of archaeologists to trash sifting. Or imagine that the glass-encased artifacts in museums might be one-time refuse. But quite often, this is exactly the case. Studying ancient trash from around the world gives archaeologists and historians the chance to understand the habits that defined people's daily lives, said Dr. Richard Meadow, Director of the Peabody Museum's Zooarchaeology Laboratory and Senior Lecturer on Anthropology at Harvard University.It may not be glamorous but, he said, "much of what archaeology knows about the past comes from trash, if trash is defined as the products of human consumption. Trash is a proxy for human behavior."The Peabody Museum is staging a series of talks and events, entitled Trash Talk: The Anthropology of Waste until Spring 2012, on the importance of trash to our understanding of human behavior, both in the past and now. Meadow, who has excavated sites including the ancient Indus city of Harappa in present-day Pakistan, has gleaned much from studying centuries-old trash. Early dumping grounds, or "middens," are often archaeological and anthropological gold-mines, he said, not just for what can be found there but for what they tell us about ancient civilizations, what they consumed and how they organized their urban space to deal with their waste."The way that ancient cities used to grow and change through time is actually very much related to the evolution of trash," Meadow explained. Ancient people, he said, quite literally lived with their trash, usually dumping it in the streets outside their homes when it wasn't collected and deposited in special pits. Sometimes, he said, whole cities would be filled with trash, to the point where the street levels would rise, submerging homes and forcing people to build on top of it. While this might sound revolting and unhygienic to us now, ancient peoples, said Meadow, became acclimatized to it. And they were at least adept at recycling their trash. "I think almost all civilizations recycled in one way or another," Meadow said, explaining that ancient peoples across the world would recycle organic matter as fuel, while inorganic refuse would be used to build the foundations of a house. Precious metals, he said, would be melted down and re-shaped for a variety of tools. "It's only when you get to the modern period of consumerism that you get this culture of obsolescence," he said. Dr. Jose Remesal Rodriguez is a professor of Ancient History at the University of Barcelona and an expert in the social and economic history of the Roman Empire, with a special interest in the production and trade of food in the ancient world.He is the director of excavations at an ancient dump site in Rome called Monte Testaccio. An artificial hill composed of more than 25 million discarded Roman amphorae -- or vase-shaped containers -- it tells us much about the ancient Roman trade in olive oil, which these amphorae were used to transport. "A dump can be a particularly interesting source (for finding out) about the daily life (and) development of the civilization that created it," said Remesal. From the shards found at Monte Testaccio, he said, archaeologists were able to trace the evolution of food policy in the Roman Empire. "Testaccio is a very special dump, which gives us information about a concrete product -- olive oil -- and the relations between the capital of the Empire and one of its provinces," Remesal explained. This prizing of ancient trash may seem at odds with our attitudes to waste today. But according to Meadow, scientists are already at work studying our trash and what it says about us. He cites as an example American archaeologist William Rathje, director of the "Garbage Project" in Arizona, which has sifted through and studied garbage from 1973 to the present day. "Some amazing statistics have come out of this -- how much food gets thrown out in the trash that was probably OK to eat, and other things hardly used that were thrown away," said Meadow."It's an incredible array of material," he concluded.	3news
Claudia Dreifus interviews political and literary figures for the New York Review of Books. She also teaches journalism to graduate students in the sciences at Columbia University. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case involving a 2018 law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. If the justices side with the state of Mississippi, they effectively will be nullifying the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision -- significantly limiting women's reproductive rights.Though no one can predict how the justices will rule, the fact that they have agreed to hear this case is alarming. It is rare for the high court to reconsider the constitutionality of previously decided law. Even when the Supreme Court has heard challenges to Roe in the past, it has always left the basic constitutionality of abortion rights alone.JUST WATCHEDSCOTUS asks if Texas law would be a slippery slope for other rightsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSCOTUS asks if Texas law would be a slippery slope for other rights 03:27And yet, despite their record of affirmation, I am scared. I am of an age where I can remember what life was like for women in the years before Roe. To be of childbearing age in the 1960s, as my friends and I were, meant knowing that our bodies and our futures didn't belong to us. Whatever we hoped to do with our lives could be compromised by the capriciousness of nature or by a thoughtless mistake or a contraceptive mishap. Young people, then and now, are sexual beings. But before Roe, it was females who paid the biggest price for sexual expression. In my circle back then, I knew of women who'd had terrifying back-alley abortions, sometimes without anesthesia. After one friend had an illegal abortion, she developed a pelvic infection and was rendered sterile. Read MoreEqually common in that time were young people forced into unwise early marriages as their families attempted to "legitimize" an unplanned pregnancy. Those unions rarely lasted. In my second year at college, I became pregnant. This was a decade before legalization. At first, I tried to self-abort with various home remedies. None worked. In one attempt -- which involved overdosing on a drug rumored to be an abortifacient -- I nearly died. I was 19.Why overturning Roe v. Wade would be a disaster for conservatives What saved me was connecting to an underground network that led to Dr. Robert Spencer. For women in my era, Spencer was a legend. He was a real physician -- not all those offering abortions services were -- who performed the operation because he believed that women had a right to it. His fee was $100 (about $900 in today's money). I can say without hesitation that if not for his care, my life would have gone in an altogether different direction. I wouldn't today be a writer and a professor.My students now lead marvelous lives. I am impressed by the choices they make. On average, they marry almost 10 years later than my contemporaries did. They give birth later, too. In my experience, they seem more ready and excited to become parents.To my knowledge, none have suffered the trauma -- frequent enough among my peers -- of birthing an out-of-wedlock child and then being pressured to surrender it for adoption.I teach them science journalism and opinion writing. Every now and then, a student will ask me to propose an idea for an essay or op-ed topic. In a couple of instances I've offered, "How about speculating about what your life might be like if Roe v. Wade were repealed?" It seemed a topic that, given their age, might arouse their interest and provide the basis for a passionate essay. But I was mistaken. In two instances where I'd suggested this subject, the students looked at me as if I was talking about something as distant from their experience as the War of 1812. One young woman even responded with a declarative, "That's never going to happen."JUST WATCHEDSotomayor: There's going to be a lot of disappointment in the lawReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSotomayor: There's going to be a lot of disappointment in the law 02:29Another offered that it wouldn't be a problem. She'd "simply travel to a state where it was legal." It's not my role to argue with students about their views. And so, I didn't tell her that at the time I needed an abortion, that unless one had the money to go abroad, there really weren't such havens. Though some states permitted terminations if the life of a woman was provably endangered, it was largely hospital committees that ruled on whether the operation was warranted. In practice, the hospitals sought to avoid doing abortions, except in the most drastic situation.I didn't tell my students, though perhaps I should have, of one of the most infamous cases of the period where an Arizona television presenter, Sherri Finkbine, had accidentally taken the fetus-deforming drug thalidomide while in the early stages of a pregnancy. When Finkbine sought an abortion at the local hospital, it was denied. She had to fly to Sweden for the operation. Nor did I mention that the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights think tank based in New York and Washington, DC, estimates that if the court overturns Roe, some 26 states are "likely to quickly ban abortion to the fullest extent possible." (Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma are among the states that have already enacted anticipatory rules to do exactly that.) According to Guttmacher, nearly one in four American women will have an abortion before she turns 45. That means, if one adds up the statistics that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Guttmacher Institute have collected, the number of American women who have benefited from abortion's legalization are in the tens of millions.And yet, despite these numbers, too many Americans have adopted the complacent attitude of some of my students.Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookIn many ways, my students' assumptions echo those of large sectors of the public. For them and for others who came of age in a post-Roe America, legal abortion was normal. It was just there. Though they might have carried a placard to pro-choice rallies or contributed a few dollars to Planned Parenthood, they didn't feel reproductive rights was an issue that required their consistent attention.On the other side, the Americans who called themselves "pro-life" and took action to curb abortion rights have been far more determined. From the very moment the Roe decision was announced, they vowed to destroy it. Theirs was a focused strategy where, step by step, they made abortion access cumbersome, and for many, particularly in Bible Belt states, extremely difficult to obtain. Moreover, they linked their goals to the policy platform of the Republican Party and advocated for judicial nominees who they believed to be sympathetic to their cause.The Supreme Court that will hear this Wednesday's arguments includes six Republican appointees. If you're pro-choice, like me, it's not a hopeful picture. Of course, we could get a surprise. Justices have been known to make unexpected pivots. For example, Justice David Souter was appointed as a conservative by President George H.W. Bush. Over the years, he moved to the center and eventually voted with the liberals.The memo that saved abortion rights in America For my students' sake, I'm hoping that we might find ourselves astonished by Chief Justice John Roberts and perhaps even Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It's sad to think that the bright and talented people in my classroom may yet experience the suffering that haunted so many in my generation. Whether or not Roe survives, the lesson we must all learn is that preserving our rights -- be they in speech, citizenship, privacy or reproduction -- requires constant vigilance.	3news
(CNN)There's been a debate for much of the last few months as to when we really will know that the Covid-19 pandemic is over. The answer, at least in political terms, is March 25, when Hawaii will become the last state in the country to end its indoor mask mandate. "It's taken the entire community to get to this point -- with lowered case counts and hospitalizations," said Hawaii Gov. David Ige in a tweet announcing the decision.Read More While Ige also said he would consider reinstituting the mask policy "if needed," it's very hard to imagine Hawaii -- or any other state -- going back to a mandatory masking policy. What's remarkable is the pace with which states -- those led by Republican governors, but also those with Democratic governors -- started to drop their mask mandates after an Omicron-fueled surge in cases this winter. Last month, many states that still had indoor mask mandates began announcing they would end the policies, in some cases even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its national masking guidance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom very publicly declared that his state was moving to the "next phase" of dealing with Covid-19 in mid-February. "We have all come to understand what was not understood at the beginning of this crisis, that there is no end date, that there is not a moment where we declare victory," Newsom said in announcing the plan to treat the virus as endemic rather than a pandemic.That rush among even Democratic governors to drop mask mandates reflects, yes, the drastically lower case numbers. But it is also proof that even for those most tolerant and supportive of mask-wearing, patience has run out. In Axios-Ipsos polling late last month, 62% of Americans said they were wearing masks at least sometimes when leaving home. As recently as January, that number was 73%. (The highest the number ever went was 92% in December 2020/January 2021.) In the third year of Covid-19, people are done with it -- and acting accordingly. Given that, it's hard to imagine any politician -- no matter their party -- insisting on another mask mandate, even if cases do surge at some point. The Point: Over the past two years, masks became the biggest symbol of not just our battle against the virus, but also our own political views. Now it seems everyone agrees that it's time to take them off -- for good.	4politics
London (CNN)Europe is braced for its second wave of coronavirus, as infection rates rise in numerous countries, including Spain, France and Germany. Covid-19 has sucked up the political capacity of virtually every European nation, leaving every other area of policy playing second fiddle as the world tries to fight this invisible threat. This has created a uniquely difficult problem for Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, who faces the harrowing prospect of two unprecedented crises taking hold simultaneously before the end of 2020. Brexit might not be at the top of anyone's in-tray at the moment, but the clock is ticking on the UK's current transition period with the European Union (EU), which allows the UK to operate as though it is more-or-less still a member state while both sides negotiate their future relationship. This expires on December 31. It's been well documented that the pandemic has made these negotiations more difficult, as representatives have been unable to meet in person. The talks, while still happening, are stuck in deadlock, meaning the default of no-deal Brexit remains the logical conclusion of this saga, now in its fifth year. England and Scotland went separate ways on Covid-19. It may lead to a full divorceRead MoreBoth sides remain committed to striking a deal, but both sides have red lines that are incompatible with each other. The EU insists that if the UK wants tariff-free access to the EU's enormous internal market, then it must make commitments to obey certain EU laws. The UK says the EU is making unreasonable demands and not respecting its sovereignty. It has previously been suggested by some Brexit hardliners that the only way to make Brussels budge is to show that Britain is not only willing to walk away, but will thrive should it do so. Arguably, a version of this strategy previously had some degree of impact when talks were locked in earlier negotiations --- most notably when Johnson managed to renegotiate the initial Brexit deal that he had inherited from his predecessor, Theresa May. However, things are different now. Back then, the UK was still a member state leaving the bloc; now, it's a third country, and the EU has moved on to the various bigger fish it needs to fry. These include passing its seven-year budget (the Multiannual Financial Framework or MFF) and coronavirus recovery package last week, with an attendant four days of bitter rows and negotiations. "If Brexit is second in our list of priorities, imagine how far down the list it is of EU member states," says Anand Menon, professor of European politics at King's College London. "All this stuff about Brussels better brace itself, compared to the €1.8 trillion [$2.1 trillion] they just signed off, it's small beer." JUST WATCHEDMerkel: You can't fight the pandemic with liesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMerkel: You can't fight the pandemic with lies 01:31The pandemic remains a much more pressing emergency for the 27-nation bloc. "We are focused on the recovery of the European Union -- that's the priority," said one EU diplomat who is not authorized to speak on the record. "When you've spent four days with the heads of every EU government arguing over trillions of euros, you start to see why Brexit is just not on our radar anymore. Unfortunately, the Brits are a little too self-involved to see that." Others in Brussels believe that last week's budget agreement marked a major step forward in EU confidence, showing that if the bloc can come together on something so contentious as money, it can do so on external threats like Russia, the rise of China, political instability in America and, of course, Brexit. "I think it proved that integration is alive and well, and that things might actually be easier without the Brits sitting around the table trying to stall everything," said an EU official working on Brexit policy but not permitted to speak on the record. "I think it also showed that the German-Franco partnership is really kicking into action. They can credibly claim that through the mutualization of EU debt, they pushed the integration project forward in the most meaningful way for years. I think now there is a growing awareness that in light of the new cold war, uncertainty from America, Europeans are safer working together." The UK has previously said it would like Brexit negotiations to be wrapped up by autumn. This doesn't leave much time for an agreement to be struck, and it's uncertain how much political capital Brussels will be willing to spend on getting the deal done. JUST WATCHEDUK announces portfolio of potential Covid-19 vaccinesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUK announces portfolio of potential Covid-19 vaccines 02:22"It's true that an agreement on MFF and the recovery fund gives the EU27 [member states] more headspace for Brexit but they won't let it dominate their time or their thinking," says Georgina Wright, a senior researcher on the Brexit team at the Institute for Government. "The EU's focus is on economic recovery, the role of member states in EU decision-making, climate and the rule of law. Not on the UK." This might annoy Brexiteers in London, who remain furious at the EU's demands for a trade deal and think Johnson needs to play hardball with Brussels. However, as the clock runs down to December, that might be riskier than they realize. "Certain loud Brexiteers might like to shout that Brussels had better brace itself for the UK to walk away, but in reality, it's going to hit the UK much harder than it will hit the EU," says Menon. "The EU can better swallow the financial cost of no deal, meaning it can afford to choose the union over Britain, should it be asked to make that choice." When asked about Brexit after last week's summit, several EU diplomats and officials pointed CNN to a lesser-noted agreement reached on €5 billion of contingency funds, in case no deal is reached. They heavily implied that the sum was big enough to show that the EU was serious about handling no deal, but small enough in comparison to the EU's overall budget to indicate where Brexit lies in the bloc's priorities. Boris Johnson's dream of a 'Global Britain' is turning into a nightmareWith just over five months left until the end of the transition period and even less time to negotiate, whether Johnson decides to play hardball or not might be irrelevant. "Though the EU would much prefer a deal, it cannot be at any price," says Wright. "They want a deal that is fair and balanced, but overall protects the integrity of their market. A deal that goes against that could be more politically costly for the EU than a no-deal outcome." And those hardline Brexiteers who have been advising Johnson to threaten walking away might find that it's actually Brussels who is really prepared quietly to put the whole thing to sleep.	3news
London (CNN)As Western Europe's vaccination rollout gained strength in the early part of 2021, many of the region's leaders touted the shots as their immediate route out of the pandemic.Press conferences took on an almost celebratory tone as Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chancellors announced road maps away from Covid-19 restrictions, hailing their country's uptake rates and speaking colorfully about a return to normalcy.But as another Covid-struck winter grips Europe, many of those countries are now reversing course.Ireland introduced a midnight curfew on the hospitality industry earlier this week amid a surge in cases, despite having one of Europe's best vaccination rates. In Portugal -- the envy of the continent, where 87% of the total population is inoculated -- the government is mulling new measures as infections inch upwards.Britain has meanwhile endured a lengthy and stubborn wave of infections despite its Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, often trumpeting the country's early lead in administering jabs. And in the Netherlands new restrictions have come into force, prompting protests that turned violent in Rotterdam on Friday night.Read MoreThis is all taking place despite one central fact remaining true -- the vaccines are working, and working well.Some might wonder how both things can be true. But as nations are discovering, even a relatively strong vaccination rate is not enough alone to stop the spread of Covid-19 -- and warning signs from Germany and Austria, where infections have skyrocketed in recent weeks -- show the dangers of complacency. Austria will enter a total national lockdown on Monday, just days after it imposed a lockdown on unvaccinated people. The vaccine "continues to provide very good protection -- the immunity against severe disease and death is very well maintained," Charles Bangham, a professor of immunology and the co-director of Imperial College London's Institute of Infection, told CNN."But we know that the Delta variant is very much more infectious," he said. "At the same time, there have been changes in society and behavior ... and in many countries, some of the precautions are being less stringently observed."To put it simply, when it comes to stopping transmission, even a very good vaccination rate isn't always good enough."Vaccinations help," said Ralf Reintjes, professor of epidemiology and public health surveillance at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. "They're one stone in the process of stopping the virus. But it's not strong enough alone."What counts as 'highly vaccinated'?Ireland is home to one of Europe's highest vaccination rates -- 89.1% of people over the age of 12, and three-quarters of all people, having been immunized -- but it recently imposed a midnight curfew on bars, restaurants and nightclubs as it battles a growing surge in cases and hospitalizations. And that shouldn't be surprising, experts say -- because even small pockets of unvaccinated people can drive transmission. In Ireland's population of 5 million, around a million are still not protected."What we have now is an epidemic of the unvaccinated -- about 10% of our population over 12 is unvaccinated, and we're seeing an epidemic in those people, predictably," said Sam McConkey, head of the International Health and Tropical Medicine department at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin.McConkey noted that most children are unvaccinated, that elderly and vulnerable people with co-morbidities can still suffer breakthrough cases, and asymptomatic, healthy people are catching and passing on the virus. "The combination of those four or five things has meant that our hospitals are getting quite full," he said.In Ireland, experts point to an epidemic among the unvaccinated for putting hospitals under strain.Leaders around Europe have increasingly become frustrated at the unvaccinated pockets of their societies. In a dramatic step on Friday, Austria announced it would make vaccinations mandatory for everyone from February -- a move met with a protest of around 10,000 people in Vienna on Saturday. From Monday in neighboring Czech Republic, home of one of the EU's worst uptake rates, confirmation of a vaccination or recovery will be needed to enter various hospitality venues after the country recorded its highest number of new cases to date on Friday.But exasperation is mounting in better-vaccinated nations, too. On Wednesday, Ireland's deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told CNN that unprotected people are "causing a lot of the trouble" -- and that Ireland "wouldn't be imposing the restrictions we are imposing now" if everyone was vaccinated.The difference between vaccination rates of 70% and 80% is huge, experts say, because each extra percentile further isolates the virus and eases pressure on hospitals. But McConkey said that given the transmissibility of the current Delta variant, no country can truly consider themselves "highly vaccinated" -- he argued that until they inoculate a percentage in the mid-90s of their total population, unvaccinated pockets of society would still drive transmission. And so while vaccines are arguably the most important tool in fighting the virus, they can't be expected to stamp out transmission by themselves."The new viral variants are just intrinsically more infectious than the old strains," said McConkey, who in addition to his research works as a consultant at Beaumont Hospital Dublin.Vaccines continue to dramatically reduce the likelihood of serious illness and death, he noted -- and they have therefore changed the make-up of those needing treatment in intensive care units. There are far fewer admissions than in previous waves, and "it's now mostly unvaccinated young people, or very elderly people," he said.According to Varadkar, about 50% of people in ICU in Ireland currently are unvaccinated.But any trickle of new admissions can put strain on a country's health service. Of Ireland's 294 staffed intensive care beds, 118 are occupied by Covid-19 patients and just 17 remained available, according to the Irish government's daily update on Thursday. "A significant chunk of health care staff quit after the first two waves -- there's a sense of fatigue and exhaustion that wasn't there before," says McConkey, summarizing the morale of his hospital's team as it battles a new wave of cases."We'd just like this thing to be over."Waning immunity comes to the foreEurope's initial vaccine rollout accelerated quickly in the early months of 2021, but nations are now reckoning with the gradually waning immunity of those doses.Two real-world studies published last month confirmed that the immune protection offered by two doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine begins to drop off after two months or so, although protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death remains strong. Studies have shown similar outcomes for the AstraZeneca and Moderna shots, which are also in use in Europe."The immune reaction of those people who are vaccinated is decreasing over a certain period of time ... and as the vaccination campaign started in Germany at the beginning of this year, we now see some age groups and some people lose their immunity against Covid-19 quickly," said Tobias Kurth, a professor of public health and epidemiology and the director of the Institute of Public Health at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin."This is probably one of the reasons why the numbers of vaccinated people who need hospitalization is slowly increasing at the moment -- especially in the older population, who got vaccinated first," added Reintjes.Daily reported Covid-19 cases Experts stress that the protection against serious illness and deaths remains strong in double-vaccinated people who have not yet received a booster. "The good news is that both the antibodies and the T-cells [from vaccination] seem to be quite well maintained for months. There's a slight drop in their concentration, but it's very small," Bangham said. "It continues to provide very good protection -- the immunity against severe disease and death is very well maintained," he added. "You're more likely to get symptoms, but you're still quite well protected against severe disease.""The problem is that if you get symptoms, you're probably more likely to pass it on. So the transmission is not so well controlled."And over time, that pushes up a country's rate of infections and can impact hospital capacity."There certainly has been waning protection from infection, and the ability to transmit it. But thankfully, there's been less waning protection from disease," McConkey noted.People wait to be vaccinated at the center in Berlin. Germany has one of western Europe's worst vaccination rates, and it is battling a "dramatic" surge in cases.One study from Israel covered 4,800 health care workers and showed antibody levels wane rapidly after two doses of vaccine, "especially among men, among persons 65 years of age or older, and among persons with immunosuppression." A second study from Qatar showed protection from the Pfizer vaccine peaked in the first month after vaccination and then began to wane.Those findings add urgency to Europe's rollout of booster shots, which is varying in pace around the continent."It's certainly a concern. We vaccinated really fast in the beginning, and then it slowed very much down. So now the waning is probably happening faster than the new boosters [are being administered]," said Reintjes.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this week that recent data from Israel show that, among people age 60 and older, those who received a booster were less likely to become severely ill than vaccinated people who had not received a booster. Rates of severe disease remained highest among those who weren't vaccinated.A go-slow approachNo matter how impressive a country's vaccination rate appears, experts insist that vaccines alone can't be expected to halt a country's epidemic."The vaccine is controlling deaths -- but what we're seeing is a virus that has established itself as endemic, and in some countries it's made greater progress than others because there have been less rigid controls," said David Heymann, a former executive director of the World Health Organization's Communicable Diseases Cluster and a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine..Restrictions differ from country to country, and adherence to them can differ wildly too. And that means even well-vaccinated nations like Ireland can suffer serious surges."We're very good at socializing in Ireland," McConkey said. "We have to recognise that our socializing is culturally specific, and different between countries ... In Spain and Portugal you eat outside at 10 o'clock at night -- in Ireland, we squash into crowded restaurants."Daily reported Covid-19 cases Spain and Portugal, with vaccination rates of 80% and 87% of the total population respectively, have seen uptake similar to that of Ireland and have also relaxed rules on social mixing in recent months. But so far, they have avoided the worst of the current wave -- with experts pointing to the apparent success of their mitigation measures."Spanish people have been particularly careful regarding restriction measures, mostly the generalized use of face masks and [social] distance," said Ana M Garcia, professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Valencia."The use of masks is only compulsory indoors, and this is generally accomplished, but also you can find many people still using masks outdoors," she said.Despite achieving high rates of vaccination, the Iberian peninsula has moved slowly and cautiously towards normality -- as well as in indoor public spaces, masks are still required on public transport in Spain. In Portugal masks also remain mandatory on public transport, and Prime Minister Antonio Costa warned on Tuesday that restrictions could return amid a new rise in cases.And some experts point to those two countries for a blueprint on how even well-vaccinated nations should approach the virus. "In my view, the difference in vaccination coverage in different countries is making the big difference in incidence rates," Garcia said. "(But) it's not the only explanation ... vaccines alone can't fully contain a virus."'Corona fatigue'Nonetheless, the importance of following Covid-19 measures is more keenly felt in countries where vaccination rollouts have stalled. And in Germany, which has one of Western Europe's lowest inoculation rates, some experts blame a shift in public perception."One of the major factors is Corona fatigue -- people are really tired of the pandemic," said Reintjes."We've just had a general election [where Covid-19] was a bit out of focus; politicians were focusing on other things, and the impression lots of people received was that the problem is not that big anymore," he said.Germany on Thursday recorded more than 65,000 new daily Covid-19 infections and outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel called the country's situation ''dramatic.'' But even amid skyrocketing cases, many German bars and Christmas markets are attracting large numbers, Reintjes noted. Cologne's carnival season opened last week to big crowds, though only vaccinated or recovered people were admitted.German ministers are urging more people to take up the vaccine, and are making life more difficult for those who choose not to -- its likely incoming coalition government recently strengthened its Covid-19 response plan to require vaccination proof at a wide number of social venues.Daily reported Covid-19 cases But experts recognize that such attempts are too late to stem this surge. "Within a short period of time it's not possible to achieve vaccination rates that would stop this wave," Reintjes said.Instead, they insist that following measures and reducing socialization can make the immediate difference. "The autumn-winter season is the best season for transmitting the virus. People are indoors, and that plays an important role," Reintjes said. "People are fed up [with Covid-19] and they don't stick to behavior which would limit the spread of the virus. So it's spreading much better now."	3news
Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin has been in power for nearly two decades, but he still has the capacity to surprise: This week, he unexpectedly showed that the Kremlin -- on rare occasions -- has a reverse gear.To recap: On Tuesday, Russian authorities dropped a criminal case against a top investigative reporter known for exposing local corruption. The journalist, Ivan Golunov, had been arrested on an attempted drug-distribution charge that he and his colleagues insisted evidence had been planted by police. Russia lost the most lives during WW2. So why wasn't Putin invited to D-Day event?As it turns out, the charges indeed had been fabricated. The police officers who arrested Golunov were suspended from active duty, and on Thursday Putin sacked two top interior ministry officials -- the chief of internal affairs at the western district of Russia, Andrei Puchkov, and head of the Moscow directorate for drug control at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Yuri Devyatkin -- in connection with the case. It was an unexpected reversal after an outpouring of solidarity from Russian civil society. Journalists rallied to Golunov's side, staging rotating, one-person vigils outside of the main building of the Moscow branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at 38 Petrovka Street. Three leading newspapers on Monday published identical front pages with the slogan, "I/we are Ivan Golunov." And campaigners organized a march in his support on Wednesday.In this photo, Russia's three major newspapers use the same headline that reads: "I/we are Ivan Golunov"But Putin's grip on power was never seriously in peril. Read MoreFor starters, there was the response to Wednesday's march. Organizers had hoped to build on the momentum of previous days, as thousands expressed interest in turning out for the demonstration. But the unexpected decision to release Golunov from house arrest clearly diminished interest. Golunov himself did not take part, and discussion about whether to proceed with protests sparked internal squabbling among Russia's already fractured opposition.Putin and Xi show a unified front against Trump in St. PetersburgAnd the authorities moved quickly and forcefully to shut down the unsanctioned demonstration that went ahead on Wednesday. When marchers turned out at the Chistye Prudy metro station in downtown Moscow, they were ordered to disperse by police. As they moved in the direction of 38 Petrovka Street, they were met by a cordon of police who effectively dispersed the march, with small squads of riot police collaring individual demonstrators and locking them inside police buses.Demonstrators chanted, "Shame! Shame!" but it was all over within a few hours. But while the protest in Moscow was far, far smaller than the wave of demonstrations seen in Hong Kong, the events of the week were still an unusual display of discontent with Putin. And the official climbdown in the face of street demonstrations was the most stunning: Russian authorities, for instance, have continued to hold US investor Michael Calvey, despite both domestic lobbying and diplomatic pressure from the US. "Vladimir Putin's grip on power was never seriously in peril."Voices from MoscowWhat appeared to have mobilized some to take part in the protests was not necessarily Putin Fatigue, but resentment of local police, whom Russians distrust for corruption and arbitrary arrests."What is happening in this country is totally wrong, when drugs are being planted on a person who does not use them," a young man from a city on the Volga River visiting Moscow told CNN. "The cops usually act like that."But his criticism did not extend to Putin. "As for Putin, I can't state that he is a bad 'ruler' or something like that. As far as we know, he is quite a good man. I think he should deal with this situation and find out why the law-enforcement bodies have got to the point of planting drugs on people who do not use them, while they fail to catch those who sell tons of them." Another woman, a Muscovite, said she didn't watch the march in support of Golunov. But when told of the circumstances of his case, she said, "I stand for him." Asked if Putin's reputation had taken a hit over the whole affair, she said, "I think yes, and we will do nothing about it."Such candor has its limits: Both individuals when approached by CNN asked that their names not be used. Still, many outspoken Russians have taken to social media to opine on the meaning of the week's events. And the Golunov case started a wider discussion about revising Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the portion of the criminal code that covers drug crimes. Writing on Twitter, Yevgeny Roizman, the opposition former mayor of the city of Yekaterinburg, took it further, saying "the entire Criminal Code of the Russian Federation must be revised, since it is an instrument for political persecution."That's a larger discussion that the Kremlin, most likely, is not ready to entertain.CNN's Olga Pavlova in Moscow contributed to this report.	3news
(CNN)Twitter bots supporting the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats have almost doubled in the past month ahead of the Swedish election, according to a government agency.A study of 571,719 tweets sent during March to August showed the number of accounts with automated behavior "increased significantly" in recent weeks, the Swedish defense research agency said. The bots were 40% more likely to express support for the Sweden Democrats than genuine accounts, according to the agency. The ruling Social Democrats received the most criticism from the bots, but also came under fire from genuine accounts.In a trend that echoes other recent elections around the world, both the Sweden Democrats and another far-right party, the Alternative for Sweden, received more support both from genuine and automated accounts than the other parties. "The general picture that we paint is that these bots were spreading quite a lot of misinformation around the election," Ralph Schroeder, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute and co-author of the study, told CNN. "Much of the conversation is about supporting certain parties, criticism of immigration and refugees, critique of the elites and of the media."Read MoreThe Sweden Democrats party, with a far-right and anti-immigration agenda, has strong levels of support ahead of the September 9 vote, polls suggest, while the center-left Social Democrats party, which has dominated Sweden for decades, is polling below its historical levels. During the period analyzed in the study, between 6% and 17% of the total content came from bots, the agency said. The variation is caused by Twitter closing down some of the automated accounts for spreading misinformation, according to the agency. "Hopefully, this study contributes to a greater awareness of the possible effects of bots, so that more citizens make their decisions without being affected by them," said Johan Fernquist, a data-science researcher at the Swedish defense research agency and project leader for the study. The study analyzed all the tweets from more than 46,000 accounts with hashtags linked to Swedish politics and elections, such as #svpol and # Val2018. The agency did not say who might be behind the bots. "We can only say there are some actors behind them who are hiding their identity while engaging in high-degree political conversation," Schroeder said. "Sweden still has a high regard for public service but this kind of misinformation paints a worrying picture for democracy," he added. CNN has reached out to Twitter for comment and will update the article accordingly.	3news
Story highlightsThe cease-fire expired at midnight MondayPoroshenko spoke earlier in the day with Russia's Putin and intermediariesHe says it takes all parties to maintain peaceUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko said early Tuesday that his country will not renew a cease-fire with pro-Russian separatists, vowing instead "we will advance, and we will liberate our land."The fragile cease-fire expired at midnight Monday -- hours after Poroshenko spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. The cease-fire -- agreed upon earlier this month amid a volatile political crisis -- raised hopes that Ukraine could be moving back from the brink of full-fledged civil war. JUST WATCHEDUkraine-EU deal reduces Russia roleReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUkraine-EU deal reduces Russia role 01:59JUST WATCHEDEarlier: Ukraine announces cease-fireReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHEarlier: Ukraine announces cease-fire 03:01JUST WATCHEDUkraine Pres: Putin can be 'emotional'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUkraine Pres: Putin can be 'emotional' 00:51The crisis has its roots in former President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to shun a European Union Association Agreement last year and work with Russia instead. The move unleashed deadly strife that led to Yanukovych's ouster, Ukraine's loss of Crimea and a pro-Russia separatist rebellion.Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a tense standoff since the Russian annexation of Crimea in March, when Russia also massed troops along its western border with Ukraine.After Monday's phone call, Poroshenko said his goal was peace, but said it takes the participation of all parties to maintain stability, noting violations of the cease-fire by pro-Russian separatists. A statement from Putin's press office about the call said the Russian President "stressed the need to extend the cease-fire and also establish a reliable mechanism for monitoring" it.	3news
Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, is a New Jersey school nurse, blogger, and gun violence prevention activist. Barbara Glickstein MPH, MS, RN, is a public health nurse and media strategist. Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, is Senior Policy Service Professor, Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, George Washington University School of Nursing. The opinions expressed here are their own. Read more opinion at CNN. (CNN)After months of downplaying the dangers of the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump has received no-expense-spared, cutting-edge treatment for his Covid-19 infection. Of course, it is reasonable that the President of the United States and commander in chief is treated aggressively -- the country's national security and leadership continuity are vital to our well-being and safety. Robin CoganBarbara Glickstein Diana MasonHowever, instead of fighting to ensure that all Americans have access to the care that we all could and should have, his administration is asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, putting millions of Americans at risk of losing their health insurance. The White House has joined a coalition of 18 Republican-led states and two self-employed Texans in arguing that the law's individual mandate was rendered unconstitutional because Congress reduced the penalty for remaining uninsured to zero and, as a result, the entire law would be invalidated. Texas v California will be heard by the Supreme Court on November 10, one week after Election Day. We are among over 1,100 nurse leaders who recently signed an open letter urging Americans to think about how important access to health care is to them. As nurses, we know that people without health insurance risk dying prematurely, unable to afford the care that can prevent or better manage illnesses. As nurses, we know that the lack of affordable health care has made Americans sicker and more vulnerable to the ravages of Covid-19. You should not have to choose between life-saving care and bankruptcy. But that could be the choice you have to make if the Trump administration continues to undermine the ACA. Opinion: White House's new Covid-19 strategy is madnessWhat will it mean for Americans if the White House is successful in overturning the ACA? Read MoreThe ACA currently requires health insurers to cover people with "pre-existing conditions." These conditions, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, chronic bronchitis, hypertension and various cancers afflict as many as 129 million Americans -- almost half of whom are under 65. And, now, we can add to the list the 7.9 million -- and counting -- Americans who have been infected by Covid-19, since we know that at least 10-20% of infected experience "long-haul" symptoms such as chronic neurological deficits. Imagine testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies and having your insurance coverage denied. How can they even consider these egregious reductions in basic healthcare coverage while the pandemic rages on unabated?'Twindemic' testing chaos: The need for a national flu and Covid-19 plan is long overdue Well, the Trump administration and Republican members of Congress claim that they have plans to preserve this coverage. However, they have not considered nor passed any laws guaranteeing this. In fact, experts say that Trump's executive order declaring protection of coverage for pre-existing conditions lacks teeth. Similarly, Senate Republicans have cynically proposed The Protect Act that is so filled with loopholes it would allow insurance companies to drop coverage of expensive conditions. Forty percent of us could be denied health coverage or see dramatic and unaffordable increases in our insurance premiums if the requirement for coverage of pre-existing conditions is eliminated.Even if the high court declares the ACA to be constitutional, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress will undoubtedly continue to work to undermine the law in any way they can. The President's absolute refusal to heed basic public health and safety precautions has proven dangerous to his health and to the health of those he encounters. He doesn't care about your health and there is no reason to believe that this will change. If he, members of the GOP and their base refuse these measures, why would anyone believe that they will promote and support responsible healthcare policy for the rest of the nation? Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookYour vote in November may literally be a life-or-death decision.We and our more than 1,100 nurse colleagues urge you to vote in favor of your own health and the health of your family, community and the nation.	3news
Moscow (CNN)Tough new Covid-19 restrictions went into effect in Moscow on Thursday, with the Russian capital entering an 11-day paid holiday that authorities hope will help rein in skyrocketing coronavirus cases and deaths across the country. The rest of the country is due to join Moscow in taking so-called 'non-working' days from Saturday until November 7. The restrictions came into effect as Russia reported 40,096 cases and 1,159 deaths on Thursday, the highest daily figures yet. Restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, clothing stores, fitness clubs, libraries and many other establishments in Moscow closed their doors on Thursday. Cafes and restaurants will only be available for takeaway and delivery, with the exception of eateries at hotels, where only guests and employees can dine. Government entities and state services will also go on a "long paid leave" for as long as the non-working days last, though they will still be delivering services online. Daily reported Covid-19 cases Medical assistance in Moscow will be provided as usual, but with a number of restrictions. In particular, dentists will be able to provide only emergency and urgent care. Schools and kindergartens will go on vacation too, while universities will have to operate remotely.Read MoreMass cultural, entertainment and sports events will not be held unless an exception is granted by city authorities. Passengers arrive at the Kiyevsky railway station in Moscow.Muscovites can however still access shops selling food and essential goods, pharmacies, parks, and theaters and museums with proof of vaccination or recent recovery from Covid-19. Despite the restrictions, the streets of the capital seemed as lively as usual on Thursday. Transport in Moscow will continue to operate as normal. On October 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a proposal to declare non-working days from October 30 to November 7 across the whole country and strongly encouraged each region to introduce the measures earlier if necessary. Russia imposes hospitality curfew to tackle spread of CovidOn Tuesday, Moscow's deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova urged people to use the non-working days to get vaccinated. Russia's efforts to reduce transmission have been seriously hampered by a lackluster vaccination program. Just around 30% of the population is fully vaccinated, in a country where four domestic vaccines are available."We urge Muscovites to make the most of this time -- to spend their days with their families, go to the country house or get vaccinated at one of the city centers. Vaccination and rapid testing centers for Covid-19 will continue to operate in Moscow. You can get vaccinated without an appointment in popular public places or by appointment at the clinic," said Rakova.Other restrictions have been in effect in Moscow since Monday. All residents over 60 who have not been vaccinated and have not been ill within the last six months, as well as people with certain chronic diseases, have been ordered to stay home until late February. Employers in the capital were also ordered to tell at least 30% of their employees to work from home from Monday.	3news
Story highlightsThe USMNT finished fifth in the CONCACAF tableIt's the first time the USMNT has missed the World Cup since 1986 (CNN)Bruce Arena has resigned as head coach of the US men's soccer team following the side's embarrassing failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia next year."It is the greatest privilege for any coach to manage their country's National Team, and as I leave that role today, I am honored and grateful to have had that opportunity twice in my career," Arena said in a statement.Follow @cnnsport The USMNT lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 on Tuesday, thereby ensuring the team wouldn't be competing in a World Cup for the first time since 1986."Obviously, the end of the qualifying campaign on Tuesday was disappointing to all of us," US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a call with reporters. "It's a shock to the system, and while we had some ups and downs throughout the process, we fully expected to qualify going into the game on Tuesday. Read More"Clearly we didn't do enough to win that game or tie the game and results from other venues didn't help. That's a big disappointment to me personally."Gulati said that he was not in a position to name an interim head coach at this time. He also said that while he takes responsibility, he will not resign and that he would make a decision in the coming weeks if he will run for president again. First elected as US Soccer president in 2006, and re-elected in 2010 and 2014, Gulati is nearing the end of his latest four-year term.The USMNT started the 2018 qualifying campaign on rocky footing, with a 2-1 loss to Mexico and getting blown out by Costa Rica 4-0.That led to the firing of then-head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. In came Arena, who previously led the US from 1998-2006, with the American having the USMNT to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.The USMNT's failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia has led to much soul searching about the structure of US Soccer, but Arena said he maintained "a fierce belief that we are heading in the right direction."He added: "I believe in the American player and the American coach, and with our combined efforts the future remains bright. "I don't know what the future holds for me, but I can say this from the bottom of my heart: from the high of reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup to the low of a few days ago; I have appreciated every minute of being a part of this program."JUST WATCHEDCOPA90: Is 1995 Ajax the coolest football team ever?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH (17 Videos)COPA90: Is 1995 Ajax the coolest football team ever?COPA90: Erling Haland - The Next Zlatan Ibrahimovic?COPA90: The Greek MaradonaCOPA90: The 2020 Football Bucket ListCOPA90: Kasi Flava - Showboating and skills in South AfricaCOPA90: Homophobia in Brazilian football and the number 24COPA90: The Rise of Ultras Culture in China - Beijing Guoan's Royal ArmyCOPA90: Lisa Freestyle's breaking new groundCOPA90: What does it mean to be "a man" in 2019?COPA90: The 97th All-Japan High School Football TournamentCOPA90: Retro games with PSG's Nadia NadimCOPA90: Retro games with NeymarCOPA90: Madden & chill with JuJu Smith-SchusterCOPA90: The joy of a last minute winnerCOPA90: What is the North London Derby?COPA90: The Story of FC GoaCOPA90: Wilfried Zaha on Croydon and PalaceShocking lossThings appeared to be under control heading into Tuesday. The Americans were in a position to receive an automatic berth and just a draw was needed to seal it. But the shocking loss to Trinidad and Tobago -- who placed last in CONCACAF -- coupled with wins by Panama and Honduras, dropped the US to fifth."When I took the job last November, I knew there was a great challenge ahead, probably more than most people could appreciate," Arena said."Everyone involved in the program gave everything they had for the last 11 months and, in the end, we came up short. No excuses. We didn't get the job done, and I accept responsibility."This certainly is a major setback for the senior Men's National Team program, and questions rightly should be asked about how we can improve."However, Arena insisted "tremendous growth and accomplishments" had been achieved over the past two decades in "all areas, including player development, coaching education and a stable domestic professional league."The US, Mexico and Canada jointly are bidding to host the 2026 World Cup. The 32 potential host cities include four cities in Canada, three in Mexico and 25 cities in the US. The 2026 World Cup will be the first tournament with the expanded 48-team format.	5sport
London (CNN)One of Theresa May's most senior Cabinet ministers has raised the prospect of a second referendum to break the Brexit deadlock, as speculation over the future of the beleaguered UK prime minister and her twice-defeated divorce bill reaches fever pitch.A day after hundreds of thousands marched in central London to demand another public vote, Chancellor Philip Hammond said a second referendum - likely to be one of the options put to lawmakers in the coming days - was a "coherent proposition" that deserves consideration.His comments signal a clear break from May's repeated refusal to allow the British public a second poll on Brexit, and mark the first time a senior Cabinet minister has spoken about such a move as a viable possibility.The Chancellor confirmed parliament would vote on a series of alternative Brexit options this week, and acknowledged that May will be unlikely to salvage her own plan, which lawmakers have already crushed by historic proportions on two occasions. Abandon Brexit, say London marchers. But will lawmakers listen?"One way or another Parliament is going to have the opportunity this week to decide what it is in favor of, and I hope that it will take that opportunity -- if it can't get behind the Prime Minister's deal -- to say clearly and unambiguously what it can get behind," Hammond told Sky News.Read More"I'm not sure that there's a majority in Parliament for a second referendum but it's a perfectly coherent proposition -- many people will be strongly opposed to it, but it's a coherent proposition and it deserves to be considered along with the other proposals."MPs could vote as soon as Monday on that and a series of other Brexit alternatives, in an attempt to find a route out of the country's chaotic political standstill before the new April 12 deadline imposed by the European Council on Thursday.Options are likely to include continued membership of the EU's single market or customs union, a second vote, a Canada-style free trade agreement and a no-deal exit.Give Brits your sympathy. The British government, not so muchMay has not yet confirmed whether she will bring back her Brexit deal for a third time, after the previous votes were defeated by 230 and then 149 votes. She would need to flip 75 MPs for it to succeed, but opposition parties and hardliners on her own backbenchers have so far been firmly opposed to the bill.If it does pass, the Brexit delay would be extended until May 22 to allow parliament time to enact necessary legislation.But its anticipated defeat would set Britain on another collision course with the EU, with any alternative other than a no-deal break likely requiring the government to seek a further extension and possibly forcing the UK to take part in European elections in May.May 'facing coup' from her cabinetThe chances of May being in office to see any Brexit strategy through are increasingly being thrown into question, with several senior Cabinet ministers reportedly preparing to force a coup when they meet the Prime Minister on Monday.The Sunday Times newspaper reported that 11 Cabinet ministers -- almost half of her senior government ministers -- are to confront May with an ultimatum, urging her to quit in return for support for her Withdrawal Agreement.The paper reports that her de facto deputy and close ally David Lidington is being lined up to take over, while The Mail on Sunday says Environment Secretary Michael Gove is the "consensus choice" for the job. Both have since stressed their loyalty to the PM.Speculation was heightened further when George Freeman, a Conservative MP and former policy adviser to May, said on Saturday evening that it was "all over" for May."I'm afraid it's all over for the PM. She's done her best. But across the country you can see the anger. Everyone feels betrayed," Freeman tweeted.I'm afraid it's all over for the PM. She's done her best. But across the country you can see the anger. Everyone feels betrayed. Government's gridlocked. Trust in democracy collapsing. This cant go on. We need a new PM who can reach out & build some sort of coalition for a PlanB.— George Freeman MP (@GeorgeFreemanMP) March 23, 2019 Downing Street told CNN that it would not comment on speculation from newspapers, and that the rumors have not affected the schedule for the upcoming week.Hammond added that such rumors were "self-indulgent." He added: "This is not about the Prime Minister or any other individual, this is about the future of our country. Changing Prime Minister wouldn't help us, changing the party in government wouldn't help us."What happens next with Brexit?Nonetheless, uncertainty over the government's role in the Brexit process if it were to see its plan defeated for a third time has bolstered the suggestion that May could be cast aside, and added to the clamor for an alternative route.One million people, organizers claimed, marched through London demanding a second referendum on Saturday, and 5 million have signed an online petition urging the government to revoke Article 50 and cancel the Brexit process altogether.Those heightened calls for a so-called "People's Vote" could also provide May's Brexit deal an unlikely lifeline, with some senior opposition figures suggesting they would vote in favor of the plan if it were then put to the people in a confirmatory referendum."I will help you get it over the line to prevent a disastrous no deal exit. But I can only vote for a deal if you let the people have a vote on it too," Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson told Saturday's rally.CNN's Zahid Mahmood contributed to this report.	3news
Story highlightsESports is a revolution which has redefined gamingArguably paved the way for the future of broadcast sportsGlobal revenue expected to smash $1 billion by 2019 Global community of 148 million enthusiasts (CNN)Jens Hilgers is a geek, it's how he describes himself both in person and on the bio of his LinkedIn page -- "entrepreneur, geek, gamer, tree hugger."He's always enjoyed gaming and as he watched soccer fans lining up to watch Bundesliga games in his native Germany, he believed that one day people would do the same to cheer on people playing video games. JUST WATCHEDWelcome to the World of eSportsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWelcome to the World of eSports 03:52Given that was around 15 years ago, it was some vision. "In the late 1990s, it felt like Woodstock," Hilgers told CNN recently, referring to the music festival which defined the 1960s sex, drugs, rock 'n roll culture. "Lots of people connecting their computers with copper cables to hold LAN parties."Read MoreThose local area network (LAN) parties were a labor of love, often taking as much time to set up as the games actually took to play. "The players were striving to become the star of their game, the spectators were enjoying beautiful entertainment, cheering for their favorite players and teams." It was far from perfect, but it was a start; for the next 15 years, these early pioneers had many experiments and "obstacles in every single aspect." In time though, it would be worth it. Financial losses; virtual gainsMeanwhile in the U.S., Marcus Graham was also doing things the hard way.Technically he was a professional video games player -- known as djWHEAT -- at these LAN parties, but it was hard work, especially financially."We'd travel 1200 miles to play in a tournament, it would cost us $1500 to get there and we'd win $800. Even when we were winning, we were losing money."As the turn of the century approached, Graham found a way to diversify his talents, experimenting with coaching other players and then primitive broadcasting as a "shoutcaster."JUST WATCHEDBehind the scenes with an ELEAGUE shoutcaster ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBehind the scenes with an ELEAGUE shoutcaster 03:14As he called his first game on a live stream, his audience numbered just eight people, but the experience was intoxicating. By 2002, when he traveled to Korea to cover the World Cyber Games, he was hooked for life. The only constant is changeFor Graham and Hilgers, things have changed considerably since then.Graham is known globally as one of the voices of eSports, working for the billion-dollar Twitch organization, and Hilgers is one of industry's top business minds. So, just how did we get to a point where entrepreneurs are tripping over themselves to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and players are becoming world-famous millionaires? Y2K and the advent of high-speed internet technology was crucial, but Hilgers can identify three critical factors that changed the game forever. Firstly, the gaming industry had to be turned upside down. The old-school business model was a simple one-off transaction between consumer and developer; for about $50 you'd purchase a new title, master it within a few months and move on to something else.The game was there to be beaten and that was it -- no long-term investment for either party.New generationThe new generation of games were more of a service than a product. Free-to-play at first, a longer shelf-life meant developers could profit in the long run through in-game micro transactions. These were real-time strategy team-games and they could never be mastered; so a community grew around them with narratives formed and legends born. The next big turning point came with the launch of Twitch in 2011, a live streaming service that enabled anyone to share their own gaming experience with the masses. Tournaments now had a reliable, efficient and high definition distribution network, while teams and players had an opportunity to engage directly with their fans and build a brand. ELEAGUE starts tomorrow. Get hyped. pic.twitter.com/UmlX5dHlLA— ELEAGUE (@EL) May 23, 2016 With the young millennials eschewing traditional forms of media entertainment and therefore eluding the advertisers, Amazon saw the potential and snapped Twitch up for almost a billion dollars in 2014.Almost everything was now in place, but Hilgers knew there was still one last tipping point."We needed an audience for which eSports was natural, not alien. An audience of millennials that would grow up with computer games and accept eSports as a part of our culture."It would seem that we're at that point now. Anyone who might have sneered at gamers playing in their parents' basement with the curtains drawn are now being forced into a major rethink.The numbers are incredible. The eSports industry has been experiencing double digit growth for several years and according to the research group Newzoo, it boasts a global community of 148 million enthusiasts. That number is projected to hit 215 million by 2019. Just one game -- "League of Legends" -- drew an audience of 36 million for its World Championship last year, that's more viewers than the NBA Finals. According to Newzoo, global revenue in the eSports industry rose from $194 million to $463 million in the same period -- a 239% increase -- and is expected to smash $1 billion by 2019. Even first-person shooter games like "Counter-Strike : Global Offensive" have boomed, despite the visceral depiction of brutal violence.Worldwide ScopeThe excitement isn't just confined to Korea, where eSports is already ubiquitous. American broadcasters like ESPN and Turner are now presenting games to their television audiences.Players are making seven figure salaries and are celebrated like rock stars.Tournaments are played-out in arenas packed with tens of thousands of fans. You can even go to college on an eSports scholarship.What began as a hobby for pioneers like Hilgers and Graham has now become a lucrative profession. ESports is a revolution which has redefined gaming, helped shape what it means to be a millennial and quite possibly paved the way for the future of broadcast sports and entertainment. And the most exciting thing is that nobody quite knows what the future holds, but the passion is real and the numbers are staggering; eSports is very much here to stay. JUST WATCHEDAmerica's next athletes? ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAmerica's next athletes? 03:21	5sport
(CNN)The Cincinnati Reds Twitter account might have summarized the events of Tuesday night best: "There's a lotta stuff going on rn."There sure was, as that "stuff" included Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig being involved in a benches-clearing brawl mere minutes after news broke he was being traded.There's a lotta stuff going on rn— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 31, 2019 The Reds were hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The National League Central division teams already didn't like each other. Their rivalry goes back years, including a benches-clearing incident back on April 7 in Pittsburgh.Tempers would flare again, but first, a little after 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, news of a blockbuster deal began to circulate. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Puig was getting traded to the Cleveland Indians for Cleveland right-hander Trevor Bauer as part of a three-team deal including the San Diego Padres.What we know about monster Indians-Reds-Padres three-way trade, per sources:Cincinnati gets: RHP Trevor BauerCleveland gets: OF Franmil Reyes, LHP Logan Allen, OF Yasiel Puig, 3B Victor Nova (per @AJCassavell)San Diego gets: OF Taylor TrammellLHP Scott Moss also involved.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019 It turns out Puig's final moments as a member of the Reds were quite eventful.Read MoreWith two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, a pitch from Pirates reliever Keone Kela sailed just over the head of Derek Dietrich. While it didn't hit him, it appeared to get the blood boiling. Reds first baseman Joey Votto shouted toward the Pittsburgh dugout between innings, and crew chief Larry Vanover warned both teams.In the ninth inning, Reds reliever Jared Hughes was ejected after hitting Starling Marte with a pitch, one he says "just slipped." Later that inning, amid the trade talk, Reds' pitcher Amir Garrett gave up a three-run homer. Afterward, he started chirping with the Pirates' bench.Things then got crazy.While Garrett was on the mound talking with coach Jeff Pickler, he sprinted toward the Pirates' dugout. Garrett threw a punch, taking on the entire Pittsburgh team himself. Chaos erupted, and the game was delayed as players spilled out of the dugouts.Amir Garrett went at the Pirates all alone, Yasiel Puig still came to his defense after being traded to Cleveland 🤭Madness in Cincinnati(via @FOXSportsOH)pic.twitter.com/vqhNq9S2Ww— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 31, 2019 Reds manager David Bell -- who had been ejected earlier in the game for arguing balls and strikes -- came back out and charged Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle.When it appeared things were starting to calm down, Puig -- with the report of the trade coming just minutes earlier -- kept it going."It's the best fight I've probably been in as a member of a team," Dietrich said, according to MLB.com. "I mean, I've seen trades happen. As far as it happened as the fight was going on, and I'm thinking like, 'Dude, what are the Indians thinking right now? What's going on? This is probably crazy that this is happening. He's getting traded.'"Overall, eight, including Bell, Garrett and Puig, were ejected Tuesday. The Pirates went on to win the game 11-4.Puig found out about the trade after his ejection, he said."I'm going to miss all my teammates here," Puig told reporters after the game.With trade reports swirling across the baseball world, Yasiel Puig reflects on what may have been his final night with the #Reds.#BornToBaseball pic.twitter.com/QJqeJqHiwh— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) July 31, 2019 Garrett will accept any punishment MLB hands down, he said."I apologize for my actions, but in the heat of things, sometimes they get the best of you," Garrett said."At the end of the day, it's about protecting your teammates, protecting yourself."Frustrated that "nobody's protecting us," Amir Garrett describes how his emotions got the best of him.#BornToBaseball \| #Reds pic.twitter.com/q2eIMJ7NXN— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) July 31, 2019 After it was all over, the Reds posted a tweet saying to take a few deep breaths and to go get some ice cream.Tonight's game has ended... let's all just take a few deep breaths, look at this #BaseballSky and go get some ice cream or something. pic.twitter.com/AlTXHN2k1g— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 31, 2019 The teams have a short turnaround. They play each other again Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET.	5sport
Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his government was studying the responses from the United States and NATO to his security demands related to Ukraine but that it was clear the Kremlin's main complaints "had been ignored."For weeks, Putin had said little publicly about the crisis sparked by Russia's buildup of tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders, which has raised fears of a possible invasion. But speaking at a Tuesday news conference following a five-hour meeting in Moscow with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin said: "It is already clear -- I informed the Prime Minister about this -- that the fundamental Russian concerns were ignored. We did not see an adequate consideration of our three key requirements." Putin added that Russia had not seen "adequate consideration of our three key demands regarding NATO expansion, the renunciation of the deployment of strike weapons systems near Russian borders, and the return of the [NATO] bloc's military infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997, when the Russia-NATO founding act was signed."Putin also accused the US directly of attempting to "draw us into armed conflict" over the Ukraine crisis by using the country as a "tool" for NATO operations. He claimed that Washington's main goal is to force "allies in Europe to impose the very tough sanctions against us," or "draw Ukraine into NATO."Read MoreThe US and NATO have said Putin's demands -- which include a promise to never expand eastward to countries including Ukraine -- violate NATO's open-door policy and are non-starters in negotiations.Will Vladimir Putin turn the Second Cold War into a hot one?Putin did not offer any solutions on Tuesday, but did say he was open to more talks."I hope that this dialogue will continue," he said, adding: "I hope that we will eventually find this solution, although it is not an easy one, and we are aware of this. But what that will be, I'm not ready to say today, of course."Putin ended the news conference with a short lecture about what he characterized as NATO's history of deceptions, claiming that the alliance promised to expand "not an inch" eastward. "They said one thing, they did another," Putin said. "As people say, they screwed us over, well they simply deceived us."Russian officials have repeatedly made this claim in the past; the US and NATO have denied making such promises. Putin also reiterated his opposition to the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, and said Kyiv was attempting to retake Crimea -- the Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014 -- by military force, potentially bringing the alliance into open conflict with Russia."This [Crimea] is sovereign Russian territory, the question is closed for us," he said. "Let's imagine that Ukraine is a NATO country and starts these military operations. Then what, we should fight against the NATO bloc? So, has anyone thought about this? Looks like no."Diplomats from the US, Russia, Ukraine, NATO and the European Union have been engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent weeks. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call Tuesday. Following that call, a senior State Department official said Lavrov did not give an indication that Moscow will de-escalate from the border with Ukraine. Blinken told Lavrov that if Putin "does not intend war or regime change," then it was time to pull back troops and heavy weaponry and engage in serious, diplomatic discussions, the official said.Lavrov responded that the escalation that the US was claiming was not occurring, the official said, but that it was merely Russia moving troops within its own borders. US State Department officials confirmed Monday they had "received a written followup from Russia" to a document of proposals the US sent to the Kremlin last week on how to defuse tensions and pave the way for further security talks in response to Russia's demands on security.On Tuesday, however, the Kremlin said that Russia had not yet sent its "main reply" to the US. "There was a mix-up," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call. "It [the Russian correspondence] regarded a different matter. The main reply on this issue hasn't been handed over, it's still being prepared."JUST WATCHEDHow does Russia's army compare with Ukraine's?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow does Russia's army compare with Ukraine's? 02:25Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday.Johnson accused Russia of "holding a gun to Ukraine" and warned that a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia would be a "political" and "humanitarian disaster.""The potential invasion completely flies in the face of President Putin's claims to be acting in the interests of the Ukrainian people," Johnson said.Zelensky said that should a war between Russia and Ukraine start it will be a "big war in Europe," adding that there "will be no occupation of any territory or city in Ukraine... but there will be a bloody tragedy if the invasion of our country starts."	3news
(CNN)No charges will be filed against two Baton Rouge police officers in the 2016 shooting death of Alton Sterling, after an investigation determined that the shooting was justified, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said Tuesday.Police shootings: Trials, convictions are rare for officers"We have concluded that the officers in question acted as reasonable officers under existing law and were justified in their use of force," Landry's written report on the investigation reads.But his decision is not the last chapter of the case, as the police department plans to hold hearings on whether to discipline the officers, and says it intends to release four videos that have yet to be made public.Landry's announcement in Baton Rouge -- coming 10 months after federal prosecutors determined they wouldn't file civil rights charges against the officers -- was made moments after he told Sterling's relatives of the decision.Read MoreJUST WATCHEDLawmaker wants Sterling's killer prosecutedReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLawmaker wants Sterling's killer prosecuted 01:01Members of Sterling's family were visibly upset. Sterling's aunt Veda Washington wiped tears as she left his office."They're not going to bring charges on anybody. Why would they do that? This is white America," Washington said.Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was shot and killed by one of two white police officers who confronted him outside a convenience store in July 2016. Cell phone video showed Sterling pinned to the ground by the officers before he was shot; police said Sterling was shot because he was reaching for a gun. Outrage over Sterling's death led to renewed Black Lives Matter protests across the nation.Landry said his conclusion drew on the federal investigation -- including two use-of-force experts who told the Justice Department that the shooting was reasonable -- as well as his department's own interviews of eyewitnesses.The officers, he said, tried to make a lawful arrest, tried Tasering and other nonlethal techniques to subdue Sterling when he didn't comply with commands, and made "well-founded and reasonable" attempts to control Sterling's hands until the moment one officer claims he saw Sterling try to reach a gun.Beneath the Skin: A CNN investigationAttorneys for Sterling's family slammed what they called a biased decision -- and urged the public to hold Landry accountable by voting him out of office."It takes courage ... to fight for justice; we didn't see that in this situation," family attorney Chris Stewart said. "But that's fine, because ... we know what the repercussion is: Getting you out of office."More videos, and a decision on the officers' future, are comingRepercussions still could come for Officers Blane Salamoni, who shot Sterling, and Officer Howie Lake II. Sterling's five children filed a wrongful death lawsuit last summer. JUST WATCHEDWitness: Sterling's gun was not visible at any point ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWitness: Sterling's gun was not visible at any point 01:59And the Baton Rouge Police Department will hold disciplinary hearings by Friday to determine whether the officers' behavior was in line with department policy, Chief Murphy Paul said.After the hearings, Paul said, police will release four additional videos: two body camera recordings; one from a store surveillance camera; and one from the dashboard camera in a patrol car.The woman who raised Sterling, Sandra Sterling, predicted that the videos will spark more public outrage."When you see those other ... videos of Blane Salamoni killing Alton Sterling, you'll cry again," Sandra Sterling said. "And when you cry again, you'll be telling the Sterling family, 'I'm sorry.'"Sterling was shot on the groundSterling was known as the "CD man," who sold CDs and DVDs outside the convenience store where he was shot, according to local media. The killing gripped the nation in part because two publicly released bystander videos, each less than a minute long, captured Sterling's part of the struggle with the two officers.The officers were responding to a call about a man with a gun. The call was from a homeless man who said that after he approached Sterling for money, Sterling showed him the weapon.According to the state report released Tuesday, Sterling refused to heed the officers' commands to put his hands on the hood of a car, and each officer reached for and tried to control Sterling's arms. JUST WATCHEDWitness: Sterling's gun was not visible at any point ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWitness: Sterling's gun was not visible at any point 01:59When Sterling spun around and pulled his right arm away from Salamoni, Salamoni drew his gun and said, "Don't f**** move, or I'll shoot you in your f**** head," the report says.The Justice Department last spring said that Salamoni at this point put a gun to Sterling's head.Sterling then complied, but eventually resisted Lake's attempts to gain control of his hands, Landry's report reads.Lake twice used a Taser on Sterling, with little to no effect. Salamoni eventually holstered his gun, tackled Sterling to the ground and tried to control Sterling's right arm, and Lake knelt and tried to control Sterling's left arm, the state report says."If you move, I swear to God," Salamoni tells Sterling, according to the report.At one point, the cell phone videos show, someone shouts, "He's got a gun!" In one video, an officer draws something from his waistband and points it at Sterling. Landry wrote at this moment Sterling was positioned in way that concealed his right front pocket. The officers continue to try to control his hands."He's going for the gun," Salamoni yells, according to the state report.The state report says Salamoni first shot Sterling three times in the chest, and then rolled off him.Sterling sits up. As Lake yelled at Sterling to get on the ground, Sterling rolled away from Salamoni, who fired three more shots, this time into Sterling's back. Sterling's hands and right side are concealed from Salamoni's view, Landry said.Lake removed a loaded .38-caliber handgun from Sterling's right front pocket, the report says.An autopsy report done by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's office said none of the six bullets exited Sterling's body. A pathologist also found a Taser probe embedded in the back of his shorts, says the report, which was released Tuesday. Attorney general: Drugs may have contributedIn May 2017, federal prosecutors found there wasn't enough evidence to warrant civil rights charges against Salamoni and Lake. Why the feds did not file charges in Alton Sterling's deathThe feds cited use-of-force experts who determined the officers' actions were reasonable under the circumstances -- including that the two used several less-than-lethal techniques before using force, and that Sterling struggled with the officers and failed to follow orders. The Justice Department also said that evidence couldn't prove or disprove Salamoni's assertion that Sterling was reaching for a gun.Study: Black men nearly three times as likely to die from police use of forceJUST WATCHEDAlton Sterling's son speaks out ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAlton Sterling's son speaks out 02:08Landry said that Sterling had illicit drugs in his system."Considering this, it is reasonable that Mr. Sterling was under the influence, and that contributed to his noncompliance," Landry said.The autopsy indicated Sterling had cocaine, methamphetamine, hydrocodone, a marijuana ingredient, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in his blood.Stewart, the Sterling family attorney, said that every action was "initiated by the officers." He also said Salamoni's threat to shoot Sterling in the head was illegal."That is not the behavior that any officer should have," Stewart said. "In our opinion, that is criminal."CNN's Amir Vera, Nick Valencia, Kim Hutcherson, Emanuella Grinberg, Steve Almasy, Jamiel Lynch and Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.	3news
Berlin, Germany (CNN)A man arrested over the killing of a senior German politician earlier this month is believed to have links to the far right, prosecutors said Monday. Walter Lübcke, who was president of the Kassel regional council in central Germany, was shot in the head at close range on the terrace of his home in the small village of Istha, in the early hours of June 2.Sixty-five-year-old Lübcke was a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling Christian Democrats and an outspoken supporter of the government's pro-migrant policies in the wake of the 2015 refugee crisis. The 45-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday in Kassel based on traces of DNA evidence from the crime scene, according to the Hesse state office of criminal investigation and Kassel's public prosecutor. The suspect has a long criminal record, police said.The past life and the "openly expressed opinions and public views" of the suspect linked him with the far right, Michael Schmidt, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, told a news conference Monday. Read More"Based on the current state of investigations, we assume that there is a right-wing extremist background to this act," Schmidt said, before adding there was no evidence that the suspect was involved in a right-wing terrorist group. Investigations are ongoing and officials confiscated computer equipment from the suspect, said Schmidt. Pro-migrant policies attract death threats and attacksAccording to police, Lübcke previously received death threats after a YouTube video emerged of him defending the country's immigration policies at a public meeting in Kassel in October 2015. The meeting was also attended by members of Pegida, a far-right anti-Islam movement.In the video, Lübcke says: ''You have to stand up for your values. If you don't share those values, then anyone is free to leave this country if they don't agree." Some members of the crowd could be heard shouting "get out, get out" in response. German nurse who killed at least 85 patients jailed for lifeGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned hate posts toward the pro-migrant politician. ''The way some individuals on social media are attacking his death, taking satisfaction from it and applauding it is cynical, tasteless, revolting and offensive in every way," he said in comments at a German town association event. Interior minister Horst Seehofer also told the daily newspaper Tagesspiegel that "if someone is so hated, just because he had liberal views, that is the decline of human morality."The killing of Lübcke is not the first attack on a pro-migrant German politician in recent years. In 2016 a man -- referred to as Frank S. -- who also reportedly opposed Germany's open-door refugee policies was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stabbing Cologne mayoral candidate Henriette Reker, according to the New York Times.Another German politician well-known for his pro-refugee policies, Altena town mayor Andreas Hollstein, was stabbed in the neck at a kebab shop in 2017 by an assailant who reportedly said: "You are leaving me die of thirst while you bring 200 refugees to Altena." Angela Merkel's best laid plans are falling apart in Germany Merkel opened Germany's doors to more than a million migrants in 2015. But her policy, hailed by humanitarians, also attracted fierce criticism from the right, particularly following a number of terrorist attacks across the country in summer 2016.Riding the wave of public discontent was the anti-immigration, anti-Islam AfD. In the 2017 federal election, it became the third largest party in the Bundestag and the first far-right party to enter the country's parliament in almost 60 years.Now, the tide appears to be shifting again, with the environmentally focused and left-wing Greens surging to second place in May's European parliamentary elections, pushing the AfD into fourth.CNN's Nadine Schmidt reported from Berlin, Sheena McKenzie wrote from London.	3news
Story highlightsWorld No. 3 Rory McIlroy wins PGA Championship by eight shots on SundayNorthern Irish golfer triumphs by same margin as his U.S. Open victory last yearUnheralded Englishman David Lynn claims second place in only his second majorTiger Woods ties for 11th as his four-year wait for a 15th major title continuesRory McIlroy stormed to his second major title on Sunday as he won the PGA Championship by eight shots at Kiawah Island in South Carolina and returned to the top of the world golf rankings.The Northern Irishman played 27 holes after coming back to the Ocean Course early to complete his third round, after which he had built a three-shot lead.And, in similar fashion to his eight-shot victory at last year's U.S. Open, the 23-year-old showed no nerves as he bounced back after struggling in the season's first three majors. He has won his two majors at a younger age than Tiger Woods did.It was the biggest winning margin since the tournament changed to a strokeplay format in 1958, eclipsing Jack Nicklaus' seven-shot victory 32 years ago.McIlroy broke the streak of 16 different winners in the past 16 majors as he followed his third-round 67 with a six-under-par 66, becoming the first player from his country to win the event.PGA Championship final leaderboard Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy kisses his prize after winning the 94th PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina on Sunday, August 12. See how the action unfolded here. Hide Caption 1 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Carl Pettersson digs in during the final round.Hide Caption 2 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh concluding their round.Hide Caption 3 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – The crowd goes crazy as Rory McIlroy wins.Hide Caption 4 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Ian Poulter buries himself in bogeys late on Sunday.Hide Caption 5 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy sinking the winning putt.Hide Caption 6 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Carl Pettersson of Sweden hits out of the sand on the 10th hole.Hide Caption 7 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – A general view of the 18th hole during the final round.Hide Caption 8 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after a putt at the 18th hole.Hide Caption 9 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Adam Scott of Australia lines up a putt during round three. Play in the third round resumed Sunday after it was suspended late Saturday due to bad weather.Hide Caption 10 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – The Ocean Course's Shingle-style clubhouse overlooks the 18th green. The course previously hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup.Hide Caption 11 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland hits out of a bunker on the 18th hole during round three.Hide Caption 12 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods lines up a putt during the third round.Hide Caption 13 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tim Clark of South Africa hits off the15th tee.Hide Caption 14 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Trevor Immelman of South Africa and his caddy examine the green before a putt.Hide Caption 15 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods catches a ball tossed by caddie Joe LaCava on the 14th green.Hide Caption 16 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods hits out of the sand on the 17th hole during the third round.Hide Caption 17 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Vijay Singh, who started the day near the top of the leaderboard, ponders his options before making a putt on the back nine on Sunday.Hide Caption 18 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Surrounded by the gallery, Woods jumps to see his ball after his shot on the15th hole.Hide Caption 19 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his drive from the 16th tee. He took a three-shot lead into the final 18 holes.Hide Caption 20 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Spectators file along the course near the 16th hole to stake out a position for viewing.Hide Caption 21 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods, who finished the third round with a 74, wipes his brow between holes.Hide Caption 22 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Singh hits off the 16th tee.Hide Caption 23 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Graeme McDowell blasts out of a sand bunker on Sunday.Hide Caption 24 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods tries to reach the green from a bunker on the 17th hole.Hide Caption 25 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Phil Mickelson finished the third round with a 73.Hide Caption 26 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Adam Scott of Australia walks off the course under dark clouds as play is suspended due to rain on Saturday, August 11.Hide Caption 27 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods, left, and Vijay Singh of Fiji walk off the course after the suspension of play.Hide Caption 28 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photospga 0811-1 – Changes are made to the leaderboard during a delay in play due to weather Saturday.Hide Caption 29 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Carl Pettersson of Sweden tries a putt from the edge of the green as storm clouds move in.Hide Caption 30 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who goes into Sunday's play in the lead at 6 under par, hits off the sixth tee.Hide Caption 31 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods, who dropped significantly in position Saturday, reacts after a missed putt on the fourth green.Hide Caption 32 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Singh putts on the 18th green Saturday.Hide Caption 33 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Bo Van Pelt of the United States hits a tee shot on the sixth hole.Hide Caption 34 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Phil Mickelson tries for the green from the fairway on the 7th hole.Hide Caption 35 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Aaron Baddeley has experienced peaks and valleys during this championship.Hide Caption 36 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Fans watch the pairing of Graeme McDowell and Phil Mickelson on Saturday.Hide Caption 37 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Jamie Donaldson of Wales hits from the seventh tee.Hide Caption 38 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – David Lynn of England hits out of the sand on the 18th hole.Hide Caption 39 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods of the United States hits out of the sand on the seventh hole.Hide Caption 40 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Blake Adams of the United States hits off the first tee.Hide Caption 41 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Jamie Donaldson of Wales, left, and his caddie Mick Donaghy look on from the first tee.Hide Caption 42 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Bill Haas of the United States hits a shot on the seventh hole during round three.Hide Caption 43 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Tiger Woods of the United States hits off the first tee.Hide Caption 44 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Bubba Watson of the United States prepares to hit a shot on the second hole.Hide Caption 45 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Ryo Ishikawa of Japan hits off the fourth tee during round three in South Carolina on Saturday.Hide Caption 46 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Bubba Watson of the United States hits off the seventh tee during Round Three.Hide Caption 47 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Spectators look on as Bubba Watson putts on the first green.Hide Caption 48 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Trevor Immelman of South Africa hits a tee shot during round two.Hide Caption 49 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Justin Rose of England hits a shot off the first fairway during round three on Saturday.Hide Caption 50 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Australia's Adam Scott putts on the 11th green during the second round of the 94th PGA Championship.Hide Caption 51 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rickie Fowler punches a ball on the 17th hole on Friday.Hide Caption 52 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Hunter Mahan hits out of the sand on the 10th hole.Hide Caption 53 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – The wind whips the PGA flags on Friday.Hide Caption 54 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Golf fans watch during the second round of the championship.Hide Caption 55 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Graeme McDowell hits off the 18th tee.Hide Caption 56 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Adam Scott studies the green on the 16th hole.Hide Caption 57 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Phil Mickelson fans for onlookers. Hide Caption 58 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – A spectator watches the players from a tree.Hide Caption 59 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Graeme McDowell walks with caddies.Hide Caption 60 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia lines up a putt on the 10th green.Hide Caption 61 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – England's Roger Chapman, from left, Mark Brooks of the United States and South Africa's Retief Goosen talk on the 2nd tee.Hide Caption 62 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Spain's Sergio Garcia hits off the 15th tee.Hide Caption 63 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Luke Donald of England hits a shot on the 2nd hole.Hide Caption 64 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – U.S. player Dustin Johnson hits off the 15th tee during the first round of the 94th PGA Championship on Thursday.Hide Caption 65 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Martin Kaymer of Germany hits a shot from the 10th fairway on Thursday.Hide Caption 66 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – U.S. player Tiger Woods hits off the 15th tee.Hide Caption 67 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods hits a shot onto the 17th green during round one.Hide Caption 68 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – South Africa's Rory Sabbatini hits off the 15th tee.Hide Caption 69 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole.Hide Caption 70 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Australian player Greg Chalmers chips in for birdie on the fifth hole.Hide Caption 71 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Martin Kaymer of Germany lines up a putt on the 11th green.Hide Caption 72 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the 12th tee.Hide Caption 73 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Woods walks toward the 10th fairway.Hide Caption 74 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – Kaymer hits a shot on the 11th hole.Hide Caption 75 of 76 Photos: 2012 PGA Championship: The best photos2012 PGA Championship: The best photos – The PGA Championship got off to a gorgeous start Thursday.Hide Caption 76 of 76JUST WATCHEDMcIlroy wins the PGA ChampionshipReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMcIlroy wins the PGA Championship 01:36 "It was a great round of golf -- I am speechless," he told reporters after becoming the fifth youngest player to win the PGA. "The game-plan was just to play solid. I got off to a bit of a shaky start, but settled into it and I thought my putting today was phenomenal."I had a good feeling at the start, but I never imagined doing this. It means an awful lot to look at the names on that trophy and put mine alongside them."His closest challenger was unheralded Englishman David Lynn, playing only his second major tournament nine years since his first at the British Open.The 38-year-old carded 68 for second outright on five-under 283, having started the final round in a tie for 10th place.Defending champion Keegan Bradley of the U.S. closed with 68 to tie for third with Sweden's Carl Petterson and Englishmen Justin Rose (66) and Ian Poulter (69).Poulter had reached seven under in his final round but bogeyed three holes in a row to fall away in his bid for a first major crown.Petterson had led for the first half of a tournament was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms, but faltered with a third-round 72 and received a two-shot penalty in his opening hole of the decider.Can Rory follow in Tiger's footsteps? He found a water hazard and was then ruled to have illegally moved a leaf while making the stroke, and again finished with a par round.Woods must continue his four-year wait for a 15th major title after finishing tied for 11th, closing with 74 and 72.The American ended on 286 in a group including British Open runner-up Adam Scott of Australia, Masters champion Bubba Watson, 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and fellow former major winners Geoff Ogilvy and Ben Curtis.Former PGA champions John Daly and Padraig Harrington were tied for 19th, while previous world No. 1 Luke Donald was equal 32nd.Veteran Vijay Singh could not keep up his strong form of the first half of the tournament as the 49-year-old Fijian closed with 77 to tie for 36th along with 1995 winner Phil Mickelson 36th alongside Woods' 2009 conqueror Y.E. Yang of South Korea.British Open champion Ernie Els tied for 48th after his second successive 73.	5sport
Story highlightsPeng Shuai becomes only third Chinese player to reach a grand slam semifinalUnseeded 28-year-old beats teen Belinda Bencic, next faces Caroline WozniackiPeng underwent major heart surgery aged 12 to pursue tennis dreamFive-time men's champion Roger Federer through to quarterfinalsChina's population may be in excess of 1.3 billion inhabitants but only two of its players had ever reached a grand slam semifinal -- until Tuesday. That was when unseeded Peng Shuai put years of frustration, thoughts of retirement and major heart surgery to one side as she blew away Swiss teen Belinda Bencic at the U.S. Open. At her 37th grand slam, the 28-year-old was finally into her first semifinals. The buildup had mainly focused on the 17-year-old Bencic but it was the little known Peng -- far more recognized as a doubles player -- who stole the show with a powerful display. Read: Knee injury forces Li Na out of U.S. OpenBy so doing, she follows in the footsteps of Li Na, a two-time grand slam winner, and Zheng Jie, who reached semifinals at Wimbledon (2008) and the Australian Open (2010)."It's a little bit too exciting," Peng said on court after her 6-2 6-1 victory, earning a round of applause after pausing as emotion got the better of her. JUST WATCHEDAlthea Gibson's Tennis legacyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAlthea Gibson's Tennis legacy 04:50JUST WATCHEDAna Ivanovic fights to regain number 1 statusReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAna Ivanovic fights to regain number 1 status 03:20"I love tennis, I love to play." That much is clear from her back story. Aged 12, Peng went against her family wishes to undergo a major operation to repair a fault in her heart. The procedure was so complicated surgeons had to access her heart through her left leg but as Peng made clear in a 2008 advertisement, there was one fundamental reason she went through with it. "All I thought was very simple: if I want to continue tennis, I need to have this operation," she said in the Adidas advert. Nearly two decades later, her tenacity was rewarded when she achieved the No. 1 ranking in doubles. By so doing, she became the first Chinese to ever achieve top spot -- whether in singles or doubles, male or female. Despite the ranking, a player who has never won a singles title revealed she had been wracked by doubts in recent times. "A career is tough sometimes," said Peng in victory. "I've thought about giving up, stopping playing (singles), because I didn't know if I can make it, but my coach and parents told me to never give up." With her two-fisted ground strokes proving too much for a rattled Bencic, the youngest U.S. Open quarterfinalist since 1997, Peng hit 24 winners. JUST WATCHEDLi Na wins 'dream' trophyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLi Na wins 'dream' trophy 01:36JUST WATCHEDSharapova's agent inspired by ESPNReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSharapova's agent inspired by ESPN 02:51Although Zheng was the first Chinese player to reach a grand slam semifinal, world No. 3 Li has taken the country's tennis further. She won its first singles grand slam at the 2011 French Open, before clinching a second title at this year's Australian Open. No Chinese woman has ever reached the U.S. Open singles final, a record that Peng -- who has won two grand slam doubles titles in the last year -- will try to correct on Thursday. She will meet 2009 finalist Caroline Wozniacki, who continued her career resurgence by crushing Italian 13th seed Sara Errani 6-0 6-1 later Tuesday.The former world No. 1, who has a 5-1 career record over Peng, reached the last four of a grand slam for the first time since 2011, also in New York."She was much stronger than me physically tonight," said Errani, a semifinalist in 2012. "She doesn't let you play. She never misses. "And every point was a long point, and it made me feel worse, physically."Serena Williams is in action on Wednesday against Italy's Flavia Pennetta, but she suffered a frustrating day on Tuesday. Not only did she lose her doubles quarterfinal with sister Venus to Russian pair Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, but she also suffered an injury scare. JUST WATCHEDBecker: Reaction to coaching job surprised me ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBecker: Reaction to coaching job surprised me 08:01JUST WATCHEDInside Andy Murray's luxury hotelReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInside Andy Murray's luxury hotel 05:46The world No. 1's right foot had to be heavily bandaged early in the second set of the 7-6 6-4 defeat. In the men's event, second seed Roger Federer marched into the quarterfinals for the 10th time in the last 11 years with an aggressive 6-4 6-3 6-2 win over Spanish 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.The five-time U.S. champion, seeking his first final appearance since losing the 2009 title match, came to the net 50 times as he comfortably set up a clash with French 20th seed Gael Monfils."I'm happy I'm able to come forward now because coming to net requires a lot of agility and explosiveness, and I have it back," said the veteran 17-time grand slam winner.He has a 7-2 record over Monfils, beating him in three sets on the way to winning the Cincinnati title last month."I know exactly how I need to play him," Federer said. "I know I'll be coming in; he knows he'll be defending. He'll be wanting to serve well and play big as well."Monfils, known for his all-action style, was in impressive form as he overcame a sluggish Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for a third time.Sixth seed Tomas Berdych will play Croatia's Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals, after the Czech beat Austria's Dominic Thiem 6-1 6-2 6-4.Cilic, seeded 14th, came from behind to beat Richard Gasquet 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 3-6 6-3, avenging his five-set defeat by the Frenchman at January's Australian Open.In Wednesday's opening quarterfinals, Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka takes on Japanese 10th seed Kei Nishikori, then in the late session world No. 1 Novak Djokovic plays Andy Murray in a repeat of the 2012 title match.Read: Greatness beckons for BencicRead: Third time lucky for Li at Australian Open	5sport
(CNN)FIFA has relocated the Palestinians' World Cup qualifying match against Saudi Arabia, after the Saudi team refused to travel to the West Bank.Fulfilling the October 13 fixture at a stadium on the outskirts of Ramallah would require the Saudis to go through the West Bank's Israeli-controlled borders. Saudia Arabia is among a few dozen Arab and Muslim countries that don't recognize Israel.Follow @cnnsport The three-member FIFA panel -- presidential candidate Michel Platini, Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman and Kuwaiti powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad -- moved the second-leg qualifier to Amman in Jordan.In a September 28 letter written to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, Palestinian Football Association (PFA) president Jibril Rajoub said he was shocked that the decision had been made unilaterally even after the Palestinians offered "to fly the Saudi team from Amman to Ramallah" by helicopter.That would have needed the approval from the Israeli authorities, given Israel controls the West Bank's borders, as well as who enters and leaves the territory.Read MoreThe political wrangling began almost as soon as the Asian qualification draw for Russia 2018 was made earlier this year. Group A threw the Palestinians together with not only the Saudis, but two other countries that don't recognize Israel: the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. "Exceptional conditions"The first match was supposed to between the Palestinians and Saudis in the West Bank in June, but the game was swapped at the last minute. Saudi Arabia invoked "exceptional conditions" and went on to win the match in Dammam 3-2 after scoring in the fifth minute of injury time. But last month the UAE team did travel to the West Bank, where the two teams played out a 0-0 draw in front of a 15,000 strong full house. Malaysia is due to play in the West Bank on November 12. The Palestinians lie just two points behind Saudi Arabia in the Group A and still stands a chance of progressing to the next round as they try to qualify for their first ever World Cup finals, after reaching their first Asian Cup finals in Australia earlier this year.It is not the first time a country has tried to avoid traveling to the West Bank over a soccer match.The Palestinians' first home qualification tie for the 2014 World Cup finals against Afghanistan, another country that does not recognise Israel, was thrown in to doubt after the Afghan government initially refused permission for the team to travel.But, after FIFA intervened citing the organization's ban on political interference, the Afghan team flew to Jordan and crossed the Israeli Allenby Bridge checkpoint overland. The match finished 1-1.UEFA, FIFA, the PFA and the Saudi Football Federation were not immediately available for comment.Read: Disgraced former official Jack Warner banned for life by FIFA	5sport
(CNN)The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will announce new metrics to guide Covid-19 restrictions such as mask-wearing on Friday, according to a senior CDC official.CDC will hold a news briefing Friday afternoon to discuss changes to Covid-19 metrics."It's time to shift from panic mode to cautiously moving forward," a CDC scientist who is involved with the process told CNN on Thursday. "We still need to be worried about [Covid] but maybe not all the time."A fourth Covid-19 shot might be recommended this fall, as officials 'continually' look at emerging dataThe CDC currently advises people who live in counties with substantial or high levels of Covid-19 transmission to wear masks indoors. The agency will not be changing that guidance, but will be changing the way it assesses "community levels of disease," by shifting from looking at cases alone to looking at "meaningful consequences" of the virus such as hospitalizations, emergency room visits and deaths.In the current map, 97% of counties are at substantial or high transmission. The scientist said the updated metrics will result in fewer counties at the highest levels of transmission. Read More"There will probably be more heterogeneity across the country in terms of what is going on with the virus. It will not be a giant crisis across the whole nation like with Delta and Omicron," the scientist said. "You never know if things will get bad and we're going to have pick up masking again and we'll have to socially distance, which we may still continue to have to do in some parts of country, and that will come and go, but it's not like it was two years ago."Guidance about different mitigation measures, such as masking and social distancing, will be based on the levels of disease in an individual county. "There will be consideration that when you get to this level, you'll want to consider doing this; when you get to this level, you want to consider doing this," the CDC scientist said. "Hopefully they'll be stressing the importance of local health departments making decisions according to local circumstances." Changing metrics The current community transmission map is based on the number of new cases per 100,000 people and the percent of positive tests in the past seven days. While awaiting updated CDC guidance, here's the data states are using to lift Covid-19 restrictionsThe agency will change this metric for two reasons, the source said. One, many more Americans are vaccinated now. Two, Omicron, the dominant variant in the United States, is much more transmissible and causes much milder illness. The decision to use case numbers was made earlier in the pandemic, based on the behavior of previous variants.But the now-dominant Omicron variant acts differently than previous variants, so the federal official said it makes sense to tweak the metrics based on those differences.The scientist said the CDC now wants to focus more on meaningful consequences such as hospitalizations, emergency room visits and deaths, noting that this is similar to the way the agency monitors influenza. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team."Meaningful consequences of the illnesses give us a better impact of Covid on people and the health care system," the scientist said. They added that the changes have been in the works for some time. "This has been something folks have been engaged with and working on very hard -- I mean really hard -- over the past few weeks," the scientist said. "It started before Omicron, and then Omicron pulled everyone into it, and now we'll be able to finish it." Several states have announced changes to their Covid-19 restrictions, including easing up on masking requirements, and some governors have asked the CDC for clearer guidance about how to make such decisions.CNN's Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.	2health
Story highlightsA new PBS documentary by Ken Burns highlights the family life of Eleanor Roosevelt The politician and former first lady is well know for her campaigning and wit 12 quotes from the politician celebrate her wisdom Leading Women connects you to extraordinary women of our time -- remarkable professionals who have made it to the top in all areas of business, the arts, sport, culture, science and more. (CNN)Politician, human rights campaigner and longest-serving first lady; Eleanor Roosevelt was a force to be reckoned with. Initially famous for her marriage to her fifth cousin once removed -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served four terms in office -- Eleanor showed she was different to many other first ladies of the era. Not content simply to accompany her powerful spouse at events, Eleanor held her own press conferences, spoke at national conventions and remained active in politics even after her husband's death. Her achievements include serving as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights and chairing John F. Kennedy's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. A new documentary of seven episodes by Ken Burns, which aired on PBS stations in the U.S. in September, focuses on three members of the Roosevelt family; Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor. Read MoreThe series, called 'The Roosevelts: An intimate history,' started airing in the UK on Sunday October 19 and can be seen on the next six Sundays on PBS America (Sky 534 and Virgin 243.)Fifty-two years after her death, Eleanor's timeless wit lives on in quotation form, the best of which can be seen in the gallery above.Quiz: 10 female scientists you should knowRead: Jo Malone's 'million dollar nose'Watch: Could this 'chemist' run Walmart?	3news
(CNN)Cristiano Ronaldo's star has shown no sign of waning in the Far East after the Juventus man topped the list of most influential footballers online in China for the second year in a row.The 34-year-old beat long-time nemeses Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr to the top spot in the yearly table.Shanghai-based sports agency Mailman's ninth annual Red Card report found that while digital engagement with footballers and football clubs has decreased by 15% in China, the Portuguese legend was one of the few players to see both his Weibo engagement and follower growth increase in the previous year.Ronaldo led all digital performance metrics, and finished the year as the most followed international player on Weibo.Cristiano Ronaldo is still at top draw at 34 (Picture: Getty Images) Read MoreThe ex-Real Madrid man said: "I am very pleased with this award. I know that I have a huge part of fans in China and it means a lot to be on top of the table for the second year in a row. "Thank you very much for this, it's a pleasure to be with you all."Neymar Jr. came second, beating out Messi for the spot. This was in no small part down to joining China's Douyin platform (China's equivalent of TikTok) in January 2019. Douyin is a video platform that has a much younger demographic than Weibo, and is seen as the top platform among China's Generation Z population.Barcelona is ranked top on the list of clubs, jumping up from fifth place to overtake Spanish rivals Real Madrid. That these Spanish sides occupy the top two spots isn't tremendously surprising, but Chelsea leapfrogged historically popular sides Manchester United and Liverpool to become the most popular English side in China at third.The biggest change comes for Espanyol, who are now ranked 15th, jumping 27 spots in the rankings, having signed Chinese superstar striker Wu Lei since the last report was released.Commenting on this development, Collins said: "National pride was no more evident with the Spanish team Espanyol jumping 27 places in this year's ranking following massive interest in China's golden boy Wu Lei debuting with the club. A prolific striker in the CSL, now making his mark on the international stage."The signing of superstar striker Wu Lei has boosted Espanyol's popularity in China immensely.The past year has proven to be a volatile time for global sport in China. Andrew Collins, CEO of Mailman Group has said: "With all international sporting organizations on notice following the highly politicized events with the Houston Rockets and the NBA. "We saw players and coaches from all sports having to become accountable for themselves online as China's citizens assert more influence on the success of a business in China."The NBA is trying to repair damaged relations with China after Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted support for anti-government protestors in Hong Kong. Surprisingly, football seems to be fairly unaffected by parallel events.Three years ago, Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil was in Mailman's top three most influential footballers in China. Özil -- a muslim -- posted criticism of the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghur muslims in China.READ: Mesut Ozil vs. China: Arsenal star makes human rights standMesut Özil's criticism of the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghur Muslims hasn't affected his popularity among Chinese football fans.The former German international hasn't seen much of an impact on his Chinese following though, ranking fourth among individual footballers.While Özil's club Arsenal distanced itself from the midfielder, posting on the club's Weibo page that these were "personal opinions" and that it has "always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics", the club dropped from eighth to 13th in the club rankings. However, seeing as Özil faced no personal drop, it is unlikely the club's fall has been caused by his comments, but rather the Gunners facing a third straight season without Champion's League football along with a run of poor form domestically.	5sport
Story highlightsMark Wilson clinches a two-shot win at the wind-delayed Humana ChallengeWinds of over 35 mph saw many players complete their third round on SundayA final-final round 69 secured Wilson his fifth career PGA Tour titleAmerican trio Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner finish secondAmerican golfer Mark Wilson battled high winds and a charge from three of his rivals before clinching a two-shot victory at the Humana Challenge, earning his fifth PGA Tour title.Wilson holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the 18th to complete a final-round 69 at La Quinta's PGA West and finish 24 under par for the tournament as darkness descended on the California course on Sunday.The Illinois native began Sunday by playing the final three holes of his third round, after gusts of up to 35 miles per hour had stopped play on Saturday. But Wilson saw his three-shot lead wiped out as his compatriots Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner all took advantage of low-scoring conditions on the Palmer Private Course -- one of three used for the tournament.Garrigus (68) led the field until a bogey at the 17th saw him slip back and finish alongside last weekend's Sony Open winner Wagner (65) and Mallinger (66) on 22 under."Robert and I, going back and forth, we really enjoyed that," Wilson told the PGA Tour's official website after winning the pro-am event formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic. "It just came down to 18, and I didn't want to give him a chance to make that putt to tie me. That's what we play for. You want somebody to win it, not necessarily to lose it."Wilson's first win since the Phoenix Open in February 2011 moved him up to second place in the early-season FedEx Cup standings behind Wagner. The 37-year-old also pocketed a winner's check for just over $1 million."We really couldn't see much," Garrigus, who completed a third-round 61 earlier in the day, said of the dark and challenging conditions. "I could barely pick up the flag on 18. We had a great day, and it got pretty dark. I wish I could have read that putt a little better."An eight-under 64 from American Jeff Maggert saw him finish fifth on 21 under, one stroke clear of Australia's John Senden (67) and 2001 PGA Championship winner David Toms (68).The 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson (71) finished tied for eighth on 19 under alongside fellow Americans Bobby Gates (67), Ben Crane and Brandt Snedeker (71).Matt Kuchar, a member of the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team, carded a 65 after starting on the back nine to finish on 15 under in a four-way tie for 22nd place.World No. 11 Kuchar finished level with Josh Teater (69), Bob Estes (68) and Canada's Stephen Ames (70).Four-time major winner Phil Mickelson also started on the back nine and finished in a five-way tie for 49th on 10 under.	5sport
Story highlightsEx-FIFA boss Sepp Blatter says his phone is still ringingBlatter tells CNN leaders are waiting for his message (CNN)He may be exiled from football but former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says his phone hasn't stopped ringing since he was deposed as the leader of the game's global governing body."When I look at which (political) leaders are directly in contact (with me) ... people like China, like Russia, like South Africa, like Japan ... also European leaders," Blatter told CNN's Alex Thomas."I also have contact with presidents of associations in Africa," added Blatter, who is currently serving a six-year ban from football."They still ask me now, they say 'president, now you have to speak. We are all waiting. We are all waiting for your messages. Bring us messages now, president.'""I say: 'Just a little while. I will come back.'"Exiled former-FIFA president Sepp Blatter: "I will come back." https://t.co/ZfNzWZHdTbhttps://t.co/ekuuVh7mNs— CNN Sport (@cnnsport) April 21, 2016 Read MoreBlatter was removed from his position at FIFA late last year with the organization engulfed in accusations of bribery and corruption but has stated previously he will challenge that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Coup d'etatA criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department remains ongoing amidst charges that include money laundering, wire fraud and racketeering over many years by senior figures at FIFA.The Swiss attorney general's office also continues to probe the process that saw Russia and Qatar awarded host nation status for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.READ: Amnesty -- FIFA's 'blind eye' to abusesSpeaking to CNN, however, the 80-year-old Blatter cut a relaxed figure and a man at ease with life despite the tumult of the past year.As Blatter sat down for the interview, his daughter Corinne walked over and whispered a few words in his ear in German. Blatter laughed heartily, before playfully slapping her on the backside. "She's my daughter," he quickly explained in English.Former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, speaks to CNN's Alex Thomas.This bullish demeanor is perhaps surprising given the nature of his exit from FIFA, whom he first joined as a technical director in 1975 before serving as president between 1998 and 2015. He describes the raids that saw several senior FIFA figures arrested at the Hotel Baur au Lac last May and set in motion the events that would see him forced out of the organization in ignominy as a "coup d'etat" led by the U.S. and assisted by the Swiss. "I can understand that the Americans are not always happy with what's happened somewhere in the world because they try to be the police of the world everywhere," Blatter says. "But I couldn't understand that the Swiss authorities had agreed."FIFA's ex-president Sepp Blatter poses with a copy of his biography.Blatter also firmly refutes bribery allegations made against him, adding that his major regret is investing trust in the wrong people."Absolutely. I never took bribes," he says. "Never. This is the principle I have in my life from my father -- never take money you have not earned."My approach to people is by saying 'I trust you. I trust you. I trust you.' This is one of the things you can say: 'Why do you trust all these people?' "This hurts because now I see that I trusted the wrong people," he adds. Cold organizationBlatter, who says he has now moved back to his hometown of Visp deep within the Swiss Alps, was often fond of speaking about the "FIFA family" in his time as president. He laments that it has become a "cold" organization in his absence, although adds that this is not a fault of Gianni Infantino who has only recently been elected.Read: Infantino denies Panama Papers wrongdoingBlatter maintains he still has friends within FIFA but at the same time hints he feels some former colleagues have failed to stick by him."When you are at the top of such an organization like FIFA, you have not many friends. You have a lot of, let's say, companions even accomplices," Blatter says. "They want to be with you because it's good to be with the number one. It's good to be there. But when it comes to real friendship, then there are very, very few." Sepp Blatter attends a press conference at the Extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee Meeting at the FIFA headquarters on July 20, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Blatter was speaking as he promoted his new book, "Sepp Blatter: Mission & Passion Football," an account of 18-years as football's most senior administrator.He says that he has "enough connections around the world that they will look after me," should he require money to support his appeal. "I have not spent the money, all the money I earned at FIFA. I have no boat. I have no private plane or something like that," he adds. Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in pictures Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesSepp Blatter was president of FIFA, football's world governing body, between 1998 and 2015.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesThe 79-year-old Swiss dominated the world's most popular sport over this 17-year period. But his reign was not without controversy.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesBlatter faced a criminal investigation after winning the 2002 FIFA presidential election, being accused of financial mismanagement by 11 former members of the ruling body's executive committee, including his 1998 election rival Lennart Johansson. However, prosecutors dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesIn 2004, Blatter angered female footballers with his suggestion for how the women's game could be made more appealing. "They could, for example, have tighter shorts," said the Swiss. "Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball."Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesBlatter performed a U-turn on the use of goal-line technology and apologized to the English Football Association after an incorrect decision during the 2010 World Cup. Despite replays showing a shot from England's Frank Lampard had clearly crossed the line in the last-16 clash with Germany, the goal was not awarded.Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesIn 2010, when England captain John Terry, who is married, was reported to have been involved with the partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge, Blatter responded: "If this had happened in, let's say, Latin countries then I think he would have been applauded."Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesIn December 2010, Blatter was heavily criticized for suggesting gay football fans should "refrain from sexual activity" if they wished to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Blatter later apologized and said it had not been his intention to offend or discriminate.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesIn December 2010 Blatter insisted that FIFA was "not corrupt ... there are no rotten eggs" despite two of his executive committee members -- Amos Adamu, pictured, and Reynald Temarii -- being suspended for accepting bribes in the lead-up to the vote for awarding hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He called England "bad losers" after losing out to Russia. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesA Manchester City fan displays a banner with a message for FIFA President Sepp Blatter regarding his handling of allegations of racism in football in 2011. Blatter had earlier suggested that incidents of racism on the pitch could be sorted out with a handshake when a game finished.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesWhile Blatter oversaw the first World Cups in Africa and Asia -- South Africa in 2010 and Japan and South Korea in 2002 -- he also presided over a decline in the public's perception of FIFA. Corruption allegations surrounded the bidding process relating to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Sepp Blatter - key moments in picturesBlatter sought another term at the head of FIFA in 2015 and although he initially achieved that feat, he stepped down shortly after.Hide Caption 11 of 11And despite the lengthy ban handed down by FIFA's Ethics Committee late last year, Blatter is comfortable in his own mind that those who know him best are on his side."What I have witnessed now since I have been suspended, is that ... the majority of the FIFA team they are with me," he says. "They regret what has happened and they are with me."Read: Sepp Blatter's biggest bloopersRead: Unashamed Blatter insists 'I'll be back' Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!FIFA scandal collector cards Jack WarnerHide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!Hide Caption 43 of 43	5sport
Fatouma was at home with her children in the town of Bambari when the firing began, on the afternoon of February 15.Terrified, she gathered them up and fled to the nearby mosque, thinking it would be a safe refuge in the Central African Republic (CAR) market town.But instead of finding sanctuary within its walls, she and dozens of others -- men, women and children -- became targets. Both her children were shot but survived. At least a dozen people didn't."It was the Russians and the FACA [the CAR army]," Fatouma said.Russian mercenaries, supported by at least one combat helicopter, attacked the neighborhood as they hunted for rebels known as the Seleka. But according to multiple witnesses, they opened fire indiscriminately against civilians, many of them hiding at the al Taqwa mosque.Read More"There was not a single Seleka element found in the mosque," Fatouma said. "It was just the civilian population that they killed. We didn't even see a dead Seleka body on the ground, it was our children they killed."CNN has changed the names of witnesses and victims to protect them from possible retribution.Other local sources say there may have been two Seleka taking refuge in the mosque, but they were unarmed.Bullet holes are seen inside the al Taqwa mosque in Bambari, Central African Republic in a photo taken in May 2021.The incident in Bambari is one of dozens investigated by CNN and The Sentry that show a wide range of human rights abuses by Russian mercenaries deployed to CAR.The Sentry is an independent investigative group co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast that follows the money connected to mass atrocities.Despite a pervasive climate of fear, dozens of people in the Central African Republic have spoken of summary killings, instances of rape and torture, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including the burning of homes.CNN and The Sentry have spoken with multiple witnesses to events in Bambari that afternoon. According to some, several civilians were shot in cold blood when the Russians and local troops ordered people to leave the mosque late that afternoon.Bullet holes are seen in an exterior wall of the al Taqwa mosque in Bambari, Central African Republic, in a photo taken in May 2021.One 20-year-old man, Abdoulaye, told CNN that he came out with several others, hands in the air. They were searched but then Russians and FACA started shooting."We were five meters from them when they opened fire," he said in an almost matter-of-fact way, using his hands to show what happened. "Four people were killed, another escaped over a wall."A bullet struck Abdoulaye in the lower leg as he ran. He hid for nearly 10 hours because access to the local hospital had been blocked by the FACA and later had to have his leg amputated below the knee.Others told CNN that they were fired on by Russian helicopters that afternoon. CNN has confirmed that several Russian combat helicopters were shipped to CAR earlier this year.The total number killed in and around the mosque that February afternoon is unknown; but from the accounts gathered by CNN it was somewhere between a dozen and 20. It was far from an isolated incident.The body of a victim of the shootings in and around al Taqwa mosque is seen in February 2021.CNN and The Sentry obtained confidential UN documents that support the accusations against the Russian mercenaries made by witnesses and victims.A report compiled by the UN peacekeeping force in CAR, known as MINUSCA, said that in Bambari, "FACA and bilateral forces especially Russians and elements believed to be Syrians may have committed war crimes, especially in executing civilians and other individuals who were not taking part in hostilities."Sources tell CNN that an unknown number of Syrian mercenaries who had been fighting for Russian contractors in Libya were subsequently sent to the CAR. CNN has previously reported on their role in Libya.In its report on the incident in Bambari, the UN Working Group (UNWG) on Mercenaries said Russian mercenaries stood "accused of using excessive force and shelling protected sites such as a mosque and IDP camps."One woman in Bambari, Adja, told CNN her husband had taken shelter at the mosque. "Even though civilians took shelter there, the Russians fired," she said. "For three days, the Russians would not allow us to retrieve the bodies."Another woman, Djibrila, told CNN her 15-year-old son was killed by Russians firing from a helicopter. When her husband tried to find him, he too was cut down; he died in hospital four days later."My husband was buried together with my 15-year-old son," Djibrila said, cradling her baby.The MINUSCA team that investigated the incident in mid-March reported that three men were believed to have been "executed" by FACA/Russian forces. "These three men were not armed when they were arrested at the entrance of the mosque," according to the confidential MINUSCA report.MINUSCA's Human Rights Division made a preliminary report in March 2021 following a specific trip to investigate allegations in Bambari and Grimari, the scene of two alleged atrocities involving Russians. The document was obtained by the Sentry and shared with CNN.Two weeks later, the UN went public with its concerns, with experts saying they had received "and continue to receive, reports of grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, attributable to the private military personnel operating jointly with CAR's armed forces (FACA) and in some instances UN peacekeepers."The UNWG sent a list of allegations to the governments of Russia and the CAR, as well as to representatives of the military contractors.One member of the working group, Sorcha MacLeod, told CNN: "We're seeing some of the most serious human rights violations and humanitarian law violations. And we're seeing them on a widespread scale. People on the ground are absolutely terrified."MacLeod, a law professor at the University of Copenhagen, added: "We gather evidence from a wide variety of sources, and it is corroborated."UNWG has not received a reply from the company running the mercenary operation. The Russian government denied the allegations and insisted the contractors in CAR are "unarmed and do not take part in hostilities." The CAR government also denied the allegations but said an inquiry would establish the facts.An expanding missionIn 2017, the UN Security Council waived an arms embargo on CAR, agreeing to the deployment of 175 Russian trainers for the local military.For the Russians, that was a foot in the door.A former Russian military intelligence officer, Valery Zakharov, became the security adviser to CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera.But as CNN has previously reported, all but five of the trainers who arrived -- along with a large supply of weapons -- were not Russian military but private contractors, hired by companies linked to a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin.A MINUSCA document obtained by Sentry estimates there are now some 2,300 mercenaries in the CAR, including the Syrian contingent.Alongside Rwandan paramilitaries and CAR troops they are doing a lot less training and a lot more fighting, especially since a counter-offensive against rebel groups began in January.The Russians have also imported armored personnel carriers, combat helicopters, such as the Mi8 and Mi-24, and drones.One source told Sentry: "They have drones, they use them at all times to locate people."Additionally, according to an internal MINUSCA document obtained by Sentry and reviewed by CNN, the Russian mercenaries are using the same type of anti-personnel mines that they used in Libya.All sides in CAR's conflict have been accused of human rights violations, but the Russians' role on the front lines has become deeply problematic for the UN peacekeeping force in CAR.CNN team was tracked by Russian operatives in Central African Republic, Bellingcat investigation showsThe office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner said in March that "state [CAR] agents and their allies arbitrarily kill civilians," and that people had been "tortured, ill-treated and arbitrarily arrested."Several human rights and aid organizations in CAR would not comment on incidents involving the mercenaries, citing the risk to their staff.A CNN team that applied for permission to visit CAR this month to report on the security and humanitarian situation was repeatedly denied accreditation.Officials came up with several explanations, but in a text message the minister of communications, Ange Kazagui, told CNN: "Our position is maintained, namely that your background and the evidence in our possession do not support us in granting the requested accreditations."This appears to be a reference to CNN's 2019 reporting from the country on the links between the Russian mercenary presence and lucrative mineral concessions.The number of instructors in CAR has ballooned from 170 in 2017 to 2,300 in 2021. Image taken in May 2018.A gruesome patternReported incidents of abuses have spiked since late December, when Russian mercenaries joined a government offensive against rebel groups that had tried to advance on the capital.In a letter to Ivan Mechetin, the Russian mercenary force's representative in CAR, in March the UNWG wrote that: "the deployment of your personnel appears to have contributed to the rapid escalation and intensification of hostilities, in turn resulting in civilian harm and suffering."Besides the killings in Bambari, CNN and Sentry have gathered testimony on many other incidents.Late in December, Russian mercenaries opened fire on a truck that failed to stop at a checkpoint.Russian mercenaries get the big-screen treatment. The reality behind the film is as murky as the plotCNN spoke to the driver of the truck, Malik, who said he received a wound to his hand, which was later amputated. He said three people had been killed -- including an employee of the group Medecins San Frontieres (MSF). MSF confirmed the death but would not comment further.An internal report by MINUSCA "confirmed the excessive use of force by Russian forces at the checkpoint" had left three civilians dead. The report said that the impacts of the bullets "may indicate that shooters intended to kill as many people as possible they could."UN drone video obtained and geolocated by CNN showed homes being burned in a village near the town of Bossangoa, on February 23.According to an internal MINUSCA document, "bilateral forces burned homes in a village situated 13 kilometers (eight miles) from Bossangoa." The term bilateral means FACA/Russian.And on March 14, a group of Russians shot dead the chief of a village near Bambari after accusing him of being sympathetic to the rebels, according to a community leader from a neighboring village, who spoke to Sentry on condition of anonymity.The community leader said the Russians set fire to 60 homes and stole motorbikes and other goods.He also alleged that the Russians also assaulted several women, some of whom fled into the bush to escape. MacLeod told CNN that in many conflicts "when there's no oversight, where there's no monitoring of their activities, then the risk of sexual gender-based violence goes through the roof."Russian abuses have included the abduction of community leaders. According to a MINUSCA document, four members of the Fulani community were "extracted" from the town of Bria and flown to an "unknown destination." CNN has seen photographs of the men, with hoods on their heads, being put on a plane by Russian mercenaries at the local airstrip at the end of April.The MINUSCA document adds that the incident "causes great anxiety among the population where some fear disappearance," and urges an immediate investigation into where the four might have been taken.Several witnesses told CNN and Sentry that the Russians had a base outside Bambari where torture was commonplace.Nimery, a 39-year-old, said he and others had been taken to the base and roped together. Held for a week, he said he'd been beaten and stabbed in the foot with a bayonet.Still wearing a bandage around his ankle, Nimery chose his words carefully. "The Russians were wicked and barbaric," he said.Another account came from a 16-year-old who was detained with his brother by local troops in late February and taken to a Russian camp on the outskirts of Bambari.He said he was beaten until he passed out and when he regained consciousness, he saw his brother "covered in blood, tied up like an animal, his feet and hands bound behind his back."The interrogators accused the pair of being Seleka rebels. When his brother was finally released, the teenager said, he was unconscious in hospital for three days.UN dilemmaFor the 15,000 UN peacekeepers from many nations deployed to CAR, the Russian mercenary presence has become a dilemma.Moroccan peacekeepers from MINUSCA, the UN mission in the Central African Republic, patrol in the town of Bangassou on February 3, 2021.MINUSCA's chief, Mankeur Ndiaye, said in April that he had discussed allegations of human rights abuses by the Russians at a meeting in Moscow with Russia's deputy foreign minister, and that the Russian authorities had promised full cooperation with the UN's investigations.Zakharov -- the Russian adviser to President Touadera -- shot back within hours. "The declarations of M. Ndiaye are false and have no relation to reality," he tweeted.Things have only deteriorated since, with regular protests against MINUSCA in Bangui and frequent attacks on its performance by CAR government ministers.At the end of May, Ndiaye condemned "the mobilization of 13- and 14-year-old kids who should be at school and who are being given money to protest in front of MINUSCA [headquarters] demanding the departure of MINUSCA."At the same time, the head of UN peacekeeping missions, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said there had been "several worrying cases of difficulties with the Central African Armed Forces and their partners."MINUSCA told CNN on Monday that its "report on human right violations is being finalized in coordination with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and will be released soon."The quest for gold As CNN has previously reported, the growing Russian presence in CAR serves multiple goals. Several companies linked to the mercenaries are part of the business empire of Yevgeny Prigozhin. They include Sewa Services, Wagner PMC and Lobaye Invest. Prigozhin has denied any link to Wagner and has repeatedly refused to talk to CNN.UN experts said in March that they were "deeply disturbed" by the interconnected roles of all three and "their connections to a series of violent attacks that have occurred since the presidential elections" in December.To exploit those mineral concessions, the companies need territorial control. CNN's analysis of the focus of Russian mercenary activity shows it is concentrated in areas rich in minerals.Gold miners work in the Ndassima gold mine, about 25 miles from Bambari, Central African Republic, in May 2019.Near Bambari, for example, there are extensive gold deposits at Ndassima.Last year, the CAR government revoked the license of a Canadian company at Ndassima. According to documents obtained by Sentry and seen by CNN, the Ministry of Mines then gave a 25-year concession to a company called Midas Ressources, which was listed as a Russian entity.The Sentry gathered testimony from several people who say the mercenaries have expelled locals from the mines. One man alleged that Russian mercenaries carried out summary executions of suspected rebels in a village near gold and diamond deposits. He told The Sentry: "Everything that is mining is their priority ... In Bambari, in the Bornou and Adji neighborhoods they loot in search of gold and diamonds."A community leader from a village south of Bambari alleged that when the Russians and CAR troops found local people at a gold mine they slit their throats, adding "they want to create fear so that people don't go to the mining area anymore."According to John Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry: "This lucrative new model for plunder represents a rapidly spreading threat, delivering death and devastation, and undermining peace and security not only in Central Africa but in other hotspots around the world."A billboard with Russian propaganda is seen in Bangui. The message reads: "Russia hand in hand with the Central African Republic, talk a little, work a lot."The Russians have not been shy about advertising their military presence in CAR.A feature film showing Russian mercenaries fighting alongside local troops against rebels was made at the Russians' main base at Berengo and given a gala premiere at the sports stadium in Bangui in May.An on-screen caption before the movie read that it was "dedicated to the heroic Central African and Russian defenders who have liberated Central Africa."The film was produced by a Russian company linked to Prigozhin's business empire.The Russians now exercise overwhelming influence over the government of President Touadera, and judging by their responses -- at government and private level -- appear to prefer to shrug off the pattern of accusations rather than to address them."Unacceptably, there seem to be no investigations and no accountability for these abuses," according to the UN experts.As one civilian said of his experience at the hands of the mercenaries: "There is no clarity, no charges, someone can be executed for nothing."France -- the former colonial power -- has expressed alarm at the situation. In an interview last month, President Emmanuel Macron described Touadera as a hostage to the Wagner group, and this month France suspended military cooperation with CAR.The government of CAR, meanwhile, has requested another 600 Russian trainers. Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitri Polansky, pledged that if deployed they would be unarmed.	3news
Story highlightsA 41-year-old woman is burned to death in Pomona, CaliforniaPolice believe a 51-year-old man doused her with gasolineThat suspect is at large and should be considered dangerous, police say (CNN)Police in Pomona, California, are searching for a male suspect in the death of a 41-year old woman found burned outside her home on Christmas Day. Neighbors reported to police that they saw a woman running from a residence engulfed in flames then collapse on the street, the Pomona police department said in a news release. Suffering from severe burns, the 41-year-old woman died shortly after arriving at a local hospital.Police detectives believe the victim and the suspect were involved in an intense argument that escalated to violence. At one point, the man chased the woman outside, doused her with gasoline and set her afire with what police say may be a lit cigarette. The suspect hasn't been seen or heard from since.Read MorePolice in Pomona, a city of about 150,000 people 30 miles east of Los Angeles, identified him as 51-year-old Clarence Duwell Dear. Although there is no information suggesting he was armed during the time of the argument, authorities warned the public that Dear should be considered extremely dangerous.	3news
Story highlightsPortugal defeats Poland on penalties to reach semifinals at Euro 2016Game finished 1-1 after extra-timeRenato Sanches canceled out Robert Lewandowski openerWales or Belgium awaits in semifinal (CNN)It may not have won a single game in 90 minutes but Portugal won't care at all after reaching the semifinals of Euro 2016.A penalty shootout victory over Poland after the game had finished 1-1 after extra-time ensured it will face either Wales or Belgium for a place in the final.Ricardo Quaresma scored the winning penalty as Portugal triumphed 5-3 from the spot with Rui Patricio saving from Jakub Blaszczykowski.Follow @cnnsport Portugal, which reached the last four in 2012 before going out to eventual winner Spain, had come from behind to force extra-time after conceding early on to Robert Lewandowski.Renato Sanches, the 18-year-old midfielder, leveled before the interval but neither team could force a winner.Read MoreIt's a remarkable achievement for a Portugual side which finished third in its group and progressed after three draws and an extra-time win over Croatia in the last 16.Last fourWhile Portugal may not have found its most impressive form so far, it will favor its chances in the last four.Ronaldo, who wasted a number of opportunities during the contest, will now have the chance to take his country one step closer to glory.In 2004, Ronaldo and Portugal wept as it was stunned in its own backyard by a Greece team which pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the tournament's history in the final.Read: Ronaldo throws microphone into lakeBut now, in a week in which Ronaldo's nemesis Lionel Messi retired from international football after Argentina's defeat in the final of the Copa America, both he and Portugal has renewed hope.And yet in the opening throes of this contest, it appeared that it would be Poland which would be progressing to the next stage courtesy of its own talisman.Lewandowski strikesLewandowski, top scorer in last season's German Bundesliga and Poland's trump card, had failed to score in his previous 643 minutes of action.Fortunately, for Poland, while form is temporary, class is very much permanent. Just 100 seconds of the contest had elapsed when Kamil Grosicki found space on the left and his cross was fired home by Lewandowski.The quickest #EURO2016 goal and the second-quickest in EURO history (1.40). LewanGOALski. pic.twitter.com/20G2Jw45wI— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) June 30, 2016 That goal, the second quickest in the history of the European Championship finals, rocked a Portugal side which struggled to get to grips with its opponent in the early stages.Not since the 1982 World Cup had Poland reached the semifinals of a major tournament but it began this contest with real confidence.Buoyed by its penalty shootout victory over Switzerland in the previous round and with Lewandowski having opened his account, it played with a zest and freedom which belied the high stakes of the contest.But Portugal has been here before. No other country has reached the quarterfinal on each occasion since 1996 and slowly but surely it worked its way back into the game.Robert Lewandowski fired Poland ahead after one minute and 40 seconds. Super SanchesMost would have expected the Portuguese charge to be led by Ronaldo, the captain, the icon, the talisman, the country's record goalscorer.But it was an 18-year-old, the youngest player to ever start a game at the Championship, who stole the show with a display which underlined just why Bayern Munich spent around $36 million on him.Sanches, blessed with strength and skill, produced a mesmeric performance which overshadowed that of his more experienced colleagues.Read: Is this Ronaldo's last chance?Ronaldo, who threatened sporadically, was unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty when Poland defender Michal Pazdan appeared to bundle the forward to the floor.Portugal continued to move forward and with 12 minutes of the first half remaining it found an equalizer courtesy of the excellent Sanches.Nani's pass allowed Sanches to roam and the former Benfica man unleashed a fierce effort with his left foot which flew into the corner after taking a slight deflection off Poland's Grzegorz Krychowiak.That goal made Sanches the youngest player to score in the knockout stages of any European Championship at the age of 18 and 316 days and third youngest in all games overall.Tiring limbsWith both sets of players having gone through extra-time in their previous rounds, Portugal in defeating Croatia, and Poland in overcoming Switzerland, there was a threat of the second half becoming a slow and turgid affair.That fear soon became evident with neither team managing to create anything noteworthy until the closing moments.Poland, which had spent most of the second half on the back foot, had defended well but with five minutes remaining, Ronaldo was afforded an opportunity which he usually relishes.Joao Moutinho's delicate chip over the Poland defense released Ronaldo but with the ball in the air he contrived to miss it all altogether.If that was a let off for Poland then what followed in the first couple of minutes of extra time was also hugely fortunate as Ronaldo frittered away yet another opportunity.Eliseu, the full-back, produced an exquisite cross from the left which fell perfectly for Real Madrid star but he failed to find his feet quickly enough before the ball had been taken off his toes.Renato Sanches equalised for Portugal with a fine strike.MeanderingAs the game moved deeper into extra-time, neither team appeared likely to find a winner, though Lewandowski briefly threatened when he fired the ball across the face of goal only for his teammates to simply stand and admire rather than try to apply the necessary touch.Penalties appeared inevitable as tiredness took its inevitable toll.Portugal, which lost out to Spain on penalties in the semifinals four years ago, started the shootout confidently with Ronaldo netting the opener.Both sets of players looked accomplished from the spot but as always with penalties there was always going to be a villain.Unfortunately for Poland it was Blaszczykowski, a player who has been integral to the success of the team during the tournament.The winger stepped forward but struck his kick too close to the Patricio, who moved the right way before parrying the ball to safety.That left Quaresma, the hero against Croatia, with the opportunity to win the tie -- and he didn't disappoint.As the ball hit the back of the net, those in the white shirts of Poland sank to their knees.For Portugal, the party's only just beginning and for Ronaldo it could yet prove to be his crowning moment.Keep up to date with all the latest from Euro 2016Who will win Euro 2016? Have your say on our Facebook page Build your Ultimate XI. Choose from the best players in Europe and challenge your friends. Choose your team Lets get started... Tap team shirts left or right Tap a player to add them to your team Tap to view player stats Your formation will update as you add players Tap on the trash can to clear your selections Tap done to show and share your team results Got it Your Ultimate XI Goalie Defence Midfield Forward Done Edit Your Team Build Your Team	5sport
(CNN)A German serial killer nurse was jailed for life on Thursday for the murder of 85 patients in his care, according to a statement from a court in the northwest city of Oldenburg.Niels Hoegel, a 42-year-old former nurse who is considered Germany's deadliest post-war serial killer, was sentenced to life in prison at the District Court of Oldenburg.While summing up the trial, the judge said Hoegel's actions were "incomprehensible: That's the word that characterizes this."The health worker had previously confessed to killing 100 patients -- aged between 34 and 96 years old -- at two hospitals in northern Germany between 2000 and 2005. However Hoegel was acquitted of 15 cases on Thursday because there was not enough evidence. Hoegel was accused of giving his victims various non-prescribed drugs, in an attempt to show off his resuscitation skills to colleagues and fight off boredom.Read MoreIn past hearings, Hoegel said he felt euphoric when he managed to bring a patient back to life, and devastated when he failed.Police suspect the true death toll may be as high as 200, but can't be certain as many patients were cremated before autopsies could be performed, reported Agence France-Presse news (AFP) agency. The former nurse is already serving a life sentence for six convictions, including homicide and attempted homicide in 2008 and 2015. Those convictions led authorities to investigate hundreds of deaths and exhume the bodies of former patients in the clinics where he worked.Hoegel asked his victims' families for forgiveness on Wednesday for his "horrible acts.""I would like to sincerely apologize for everything I did to you over the course of years," he said during the hearing, AFP reported.'Collective amnesia'One of the biggest questions in the case is how Hoegel was able to murder so many people apparently under the watch of hospital staff.Former colleagues at the Delmenhorst clinic where he worked admitted to having had their suspicions about Hoegel, according to AFP. But all the staff from the other hospital in Oldenburg who testified said they were oblivious to the rising death toll.During sentencing Judge Sebastian Buehrmann criticized what he called staff's "collective amnesia," adding that Hoegel's killing spree was "incomprehensible."About 126 relatives of the victims are co-plaintiffs in the trial, which has been running since October 2018.CNN's Atika Shubert contributed to this story.	3news
Story highlightsChelsea beaten at 3-1 home by Aston Villa Defeat sees Andre Villas-Boas' men slip to fifth placeTottenham Hotspur held 1-1 at SwanseasArsenal up to fourth after 1-0 home win over QPRChelsea's slender title hopes in the English Premier League all but disappeared after a sorry 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa Saturday.With Manchester United losing 3-2 to Blackburn in the lunchtime kickoff, Chelsea looked to pull themselves nearer the leaders, but instead slipped to fifth spot.Didier Drogba put Chelsea ahead from the penalty spot on 28 minutes after being brought down in the area by Richard Dunne.It was the 150th goal for the Blues for the Ivorian favorite, but it proved the only celebration of the afternoon for their fans.Just five minutes later and Stephen Ireland scored from a rebound after his first effort had hit John Terry on the Chelsea goal-line.Fernando Torres came on as a second half substitute for Chelsea and rattled the woodwork, but two goals in the final seven minutes from Stiliyan Petrov and Darren Bent gave Villa victory.Ferguson's 70th celebrations ruined at Old TraffordAndre Villas Boas' men were booed off at the end and the manger admitted results need to get better."We need to improve on a couple of aspects and we know what they are. Villa punished us well in the final stages of the game," he told Sky Sports.With Chelsea faltering, London rivals Arsenal took advantage as Robin van Persie scored his 35th Premier League goal of 2011 in a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at the Emirates.They go up to fourth and gain ground on arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who were held 1-1 at Welsh side Swansea.Tottenham hoped to move closer in the title race after Manchester United's defeat and with leaders Manchester City not playing until Sunday.Blog: Out with the old and in with the new in 2012But Scott Sinclair's scrambled late goal equalized Rafael van der Vaart's first half opener for Spurs to gain a deserved point.In other action, 10-man Wigan snatched a 2-2 draw with Stoke, Ben Watson scoring with his first touch from the penalty spot to give the relegation strugglers a precious point.Bolton slipped to the bottom of the table after a 1-1 home draw against Wolves and Norwich and Fulham also shared two goals.	5sport
Story highlightsSimone Biles leads the U.S. women's gymnastics team to RioBiles hasn't lost an all-around competition in three yearsShe could win five of the six gold medals available in women's gymnastics (CNN)The women's gymnastics U.S. Olympic Team Trials had concluded, and there was no suspense for Simone Biles on that July weekend.Biles did what she needed to do -- which is what she seemingly always does -- finishing first in the all-around competition. That top spot guaranteed the 4-foot-9-inch 19-year-old an automatic berth on the Olympic team.As Biles sat tight in the waiting room at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, with the other gymnasts, teammate Aly Raisman told her that it was OK to cry because she had already punched her ticket to Rio. But Biles wasn't ready to relax just yet. Not until the coordinator for the U.S. women's gymnastics national team, Martha Karolyi, made it official."I was like, 'I'm not going to celebrate or take anything for granted until (Karolyi) comes in here and announces it,'" Biles said.#Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/rcirDkcXrW— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 3, 2016 But, really, Biles had all but clinched a spot on the team ages ago, and she's expected to dominate in Rio. Biles hasn't lost an all-around competition (the combined score in all four events -- vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise) in three years. She is a three-time world champion in the all-around and a four-time U.S. all-around champion. Biles has won 14 world medals (10 gold, two silver, two bronze), the most for a U.S. female gymnast.Read MoreAnd she gets high praise from another gymnastics icon: Mary Lou Retton, who was the first American to win all-around gold at the Olympics in 1984."Just when we thought we were at the physical limit of the sport, then here comes Simone Biles," Retton said at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. "She's the best I've ever seen."But if it wasn't for her maternal grandparents, Biles may not be in the Olympics at all.A life-changing moveAccording to Bleacher Report, Biles' father had abandoned the family, and Biles' biological mother struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. A young Simone and her sister, Adria, ended up in foster care in Ohio.Then her grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, stepped in, eventually bringing Biles and Adria to Spring, Texas, in 2002 and adopting them. Two older Biles children moved in with Ron Biles' sister in Ohio.After the adoption was official, Nellie Biles said to the girls, "It's up to you guys, but you can call us mom and dad if you want."The next day Simone asked, "Grandma, can I call you Mom?""Of course," Nellie said.Simone now had a mom and dad. What followed was the blossoming of a gymnastics prodigy.In 2003, a 6-year-old Biles was on a daycare field trip at a gym and was seen imitating other gymnasts. The gym sent home a letter to Biles' family requesting she join tumbling or gymnastics.It was a good recommendation. Today, Biles is the best in the world. Her skill power is unmatched. She even has a move on her favorite event, floor, named after her. The "Biles" is a tumbling pass that has a double layout -- which has been in gymnastics for decades -- but she takes it up another level by adding a half twist at the end, making it a blind landing.Simone Biles could win five of six medals available in the Rio Olympics, including on the balance beam."I've seen everyone so shocked whenever I do that skill because it's a forward landing," Biles said. "So it's harder, and to do a half twist is hard also. So, nobody thought it was possible, and so every time I do it everyone just gets so excited."Raisman said that sometimes she thinks Biles isn't human because of what she can do. "I'm always in awe when I watch her," Raisman said. "But I have a lot of respect for her because normally when girls are super, super talented... they don't work that hard, but she is super talented, and she works very hard, which is why she has been unbeatable."When Raisman found out she made her second Olympic team, she started crying. That struck a chord with Biles."Yeah, I'm not really a crier, but Aly started crying, and it just made me really emotional because she's gone through it," Biles said, "So it was just kind of exciting for her and for all of us in that we were actually finally done."But while Biles' place in gymnastics history is already assured, she really isn't finished. Not by a long shot.One item missing from her gymnastics resuméThe only hardware missing for Biles -- who wasn't eligible to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London because of her age -- is an Olympic medal. Theoretically, that shouldn't be an issue, as she has a good shot to win five of the six golds available in Rio. The US -- led by Biles -- is the favorite to win team gold. Biles is the clear favorite in the all-around. She's also in the running to win individual events in vault, beam and floor.And if it wasn't scary enough for her competition, there is no lack of motivation for Biles, as she isn't entering Rio on a high note -- by her standards, anyway. On the second day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which was her last competition before Rio, Biles wasn't as sharp as usual. She had some uncharacteristic errors, including a fall on the beam.• podium training • pic.twitter.com/qqp1SENkDn— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 5, 2016 Consider it more fuel to her competitive fire."I don't really view myself as the world's best or anything like that," Biles said in the spring, according to Bleacher Report. "I have great confidence in what I do, and I'm really just competing against myself out there. I know my whole career is building toward the Olympics, and it can sound like a lot of pressure, but I'm just staying focused on what I can control and do my thing. I'm not alone; my family is with me when I'm out there competing. And I do believe in myself. I really do."Follow Jill Martin on Twitter	5sport
Story highlights The teacher is being interviewed again to determine why he fabricated the storyHe is hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds Paris (CNN)Police and security forces swarmed a Paris suburb Monday after a teacher claimed to have been attacked and stabbed by a masked man shouting support for ISIS.But in an interview later at the hospital, the man admitted to making up the story, the Paris prosecutor told CNN.Earlier, the male teacher told authorities that a masked man had stabbed him in the throat and abdomen while shouting that the attack "was for Daesh," according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.Daesh is one of the names widely used for ISIS, or the Islamic State.The teacher is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. It's not clear how he was injured.Read MoreHe's being interviewed again to determine why he claimed he was attacked, Le Monde reported.The man, 45, has been teaching at the school in Aubervilliers for 20 years, Mayor Pascal Beaudet said, according to Le Parisien. Beaudet noted earlier -- before the man admitted fabricating the story -- that the school guard said he did not see an attacker.Security was tightened at French schools in the wake of the November 13 terror attacks in and around Paris that left 130 people dead.France on alertFrance is still under a state of emergency, so the initial report that the teacher had been assaulted prompted a swift response in a metropolitan area still on edge after last month's massacre.ISIS claimed responsibility for those attacks. In response, President Francois Hollande vowed to destroy the terror group and intensified an international military campaign against ISIS territory in Syria and Iraq, sending French warplanes to pound ISIS targets in the terror group's northern Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.Follow @faithcnn CNN's Pierre Buet reported from Paris, and Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta	3news
London (CNN)British Prime Minister Theresa May's government narrowly survived the latest Brexit challenge Tuesday after winning a crucial parliamentary vote.The government avoided defeat when MPs voted against by 307 votes to 301 against a proposal by Remain-supporting members of her Conservative party that would have significantly undermined her Brexit strategy. The pro-EU faction was furious that, earlier in the week, May's government had made a number of concessions to the Brexit-supporting faction. JUST WATCHEDResignations create chaos for Theresa MayReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHResignations create chaos for Theresa May 02:40The dispute has exposed the deep divisions in May's party and could yet lead to significant challenges to her authority.Earlier this month two of May's top Cabinet ministers -- Brexit secretary David Davis and foreign secretary Boris Johnson -- quit over what they see as a watering-down of the UK's blueprint for leaving the European Union. Read MoreIn two votes in the UK parliament this week, the latest on Tuesday night, May only just avoided defeat at the hands of pro-EU members of her party.The "Brexiteers" were angry that May's Chequers agreement -- a plan for a Brexit strategy hatched at May's official country residence 10 days ago -- envisaged a close future relationship with the EU.A new referendum may be only way out of Theresa May's Brexit quagmireThe original Chequers agreement caused the resignations of Davis and Johnson. The latter claimed the Chequers deal would leave the UK in the status of a "colony" to Europe and claimed the Brexit "dream was dying." Several junior ministers and parliamentary secretaries also resigned over the deal. Meanwhile, the government has abandoned the vote on on whether MPs should start their summer recess five days early -- beginning this Thursday instead of next Tuesday -- following criticism from lawmakers.CNN's James Griffiths and Sheen McKenzie contributed to this report.	3news
Story highlightsCaster Semenya makes first appearance at Rio 2016South African eases to 800m in heatShe has hyperandrogenism -- elevated testosterone levelsHuge support for athlete on social media (CNN)She's the South African athlete who has been at the center of fierce controversy over whether she should be allowed to compete in women's races.But Caster Semenya, who advanced to the 800 meters semifinal at Rio 2016 in a time of 1:59.31 amid huge support in her home country, hasn't let that controversy inhibit her.Congratulations to our own @caster800m Semenya who has won her heat and now qualifies for the next round of the 800m! #Caster4Gold #RSA— South African Gov (@GovernmentZA) 17 August 2016 Semenya won the world 800m title as an 18-year-old in 2009, but her triumph in Berlin quickly turned into a trauma amid scrutiny of her sex.Follow @cnnsport In the aftermath, it emerged that she had been ordered to undergo "gender verification" by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) amid concerns over the times she had achieved. It was revealed that Semenya has hyperandrogenism -- meaning elevated testosterone levels -- and that sparked debate over whether, as an "intersex" athlete, she should be taking part in women's events.Read MoreREAD: Should a woman's testosterone levels matter?Semenya competes in the women's 800m heat at Rio 2016.Semenya won 800m silver at the 2012 Games in London, losing out to Mariya Savinova -- one of six Russian athletes who, an independent anti-doping report found, should not have been allowed to compete.That race saw the emergence of Twitter hashtag #HandsOffCaster as people rallied to her defense -- a hashtag that began trending in South Africa on Wednesday as she returned to the Olympic spotlight four years on.Fantastic to see #HandsOffCaster is top trending. Any apologists for the bigoted anthropologising and trolling of her body will be blocked.— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) 13 August 2016 The hashtag -- along with #Caster4Gold and #TeamCaster -- was used to demonstrate the groundswell of feeling in favor of the athlete.Ahead of the race, South African Minister of Sports and Recreation Fikile Mbalula tweeted that Semenya was "focused like never before" and wrote: "It's your day today, all the best."I left her in high spirits focused like never bfo, Mokgadi it's your day today all the best @caster800m pic.twitter.com/XoVbsuQQzf— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) 17 August 2016 He added: "South Africa stands firmly behind Caster -- unshaken. Go and show them who we are!"South African newspapers, still reveling in Wayde van Niekerk's sensational 400m final win, which saw him smash Michael Johnson's 17-year-old record, were also swift to back Semenya.It's clear where the loyalties of South Africans stand #Caster4Gold. Front page of @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/Q9qdZuu4az— David McKenzie (@McKenzieCNN) 17 August 2016 "Run Caster, run" the country's Times newspaper said in a front page headline, publishing a cartoon that showed Van Niekerk handing the baton of South African hopes to her.Its front page article said Semenya had been "subjected to unprecedented scrutiny and humiliation" by having to undergo gender verification.It said the row had resurfaced because her improved race timings throughout the year had made her "overwhelming favorite" to win gold in Rio.But it added: "The uproar has sparked a backlash with South Africans rallying around the Limpopo star, who refers to her critics as 'haters.'"She's a woman. Simple. #HandsOffCaster— Joe Crann (@YesWeCrann) 13 August 2016 Two years after Semenya's win in Berlin, the IAAF ruled that female athletes whose testosterone levels were above a set level would have to use medication to bring the levels down.READ MORE: 'That girl is the Olympic spirit right there'After the race in the German capital, Italian runner Elisa Cusma Piccioni said: "She is a man," while Canadian Diane Cummins described her as "on the very fringe of the normal athlete female biological composition from what I understand of hormone testing." Cummins added: "From that perspective, most of us just feel that we are literally running against a man."You strike #Caster you strike us all...#HandsOffCaster— Fatima Hassan (@_HassanF) 13 August 2016 When a 2015 Court of Arbitration for Sport decision decreed the IAAF ruling was not based on sufficient scientific foundation, Semenya was able to compete without testosterone suppression -- and the furore began all over again.Jean Verster, the coach who has worked with her since 2014, told the Guardian recently he has been "trying to protect her" from the arguments that rage.READ MORE: Haitian hurdler crashes but gets up againHe described her as "a fantastic human being, a down-to-earth person and a great athlete who is like a mother to some of the girl athletes in our group." Asked whether he expected a happy outcome for his star at Rio, he said simply: "Absolutely. We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't believe that."And on Wednesday, Semenya started proving him right.Thabile Vilakazi contributed to this report.	5sport
Lyon, France (CNN)In the aftermath of World Cup final victory, USWNT coach Jill Ellis, part of her face hidden by a white cap with a USA badge on the front, was alone on a podium facing a puzzled media. Her captain was not by her side, as is usually the custom in post-match press conferences.When it was revealed that Megan Rapinoe had been picked for a doping test, the room deflated in unison. Such has been Rapinoe's pull these last few weeks that posing questions to the first coach to win the Women's World Cup twice did not have quite the allure as talking to the 34-year-old who now transcends her sport.Follow @cnnsport But towards the end of the press conference Rapinoe emerged, to the warm applause of some in the room."I just killed doping," the ebullient forward told reporters, smiling as broadly as a World Cup winner should.Ever since Rapinoe agitated US President Donald Trump during the World Cup by saying that she would not attend the White House should the US win the competition, the forward has been the center of attention in France.Read MoreBut her performances on the pitch have elevated her to another level of stardom, too. She was the match winner in both the last-16 and the quarterfinal and also scored the opening goal in the final, helping secure a 2-0 win over the Netherlands.After the match, the forward spoke as passionately and as eloquently as she always does. Rapinoe takes a penalty awarded in the second half for a foul on Alex Morgan. READ: US Women's team crowned world championREAD: Jill Ellis -- US Soccer's record-breaking head coach'A little public shame never hurt anybody'Asked about her thoughts to the crowd's booing of FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he walked towards the presentation stage and the chorus of "equal pay" which rippled around the Groupama Stadium in Lyon as the USWNT prepared to lift the coveted World Cup trophy, Rapinoe said: "I'm down with the boos.""I think everyone is ready for this conversation to move to the next step," she said. "I think we're done with 'are we worth it, should we have equal pay, is the markets the same, yadda, yadda.' Fans are done with that, players are done with that and, in a lot of ways, I think sponsors and everyone's done with that."Let's get to the next point. How do we support women's federations and women's programs around the world?"What can FIFA do, what can we do to support the leagues around the world?"We put on as players -- every player at this World Cup put on the most incredible show that you can ever ask for and we can't do anything more to impress more, to be better ambassadors, to take on more, to play better."It's time to move that conversation forward to the next step and a little public shame never hurt anybody, right."On Saturday Infantino described France 2019 as the "best Women's World Cup ever."He also said that he wants to expand the Women's World Cup to 32 teams and double the current prize money of $30 million for the next tournament, setting out a five-point plan to make sure the sport "seizes this opportunity."READ: Social media becomes ode to Rose LavelleRapinoe celebrates after scoring against the Netherlands. But even if FIFA were to double the prize money for 2023, it would still mean participants at the Women's World Cup would be receiving significantly less than men's teams. For last year's men's World Cup, the overall prize fund was $400 million, with winners France taking home $38 million.The USWNT is also fighting its own equal pay battle with the squad announcing earlier this year that they were taking legal action against their own federation, alleging "institutional gender discrimination.""It is time for the Federation to correct this disparity once and for all," said Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the US Women's National Team Players Association, in a statement published after the victory which gave the USWNT its fourth World Cup, a remarkable feat as there has only been eight editions of the tournament. READ: USWNT captain, World Cup winner and social activist Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS players celebrate after winning the World Cup final on Sunday, July 7.Hide Caption 1 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS captain Megan Rapinoe, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal of the final. She converted a penalty in the 61st minute.Hide Caption 2 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itThe penalty was awarded after a video review of this incident. US forward Alex Morgan was fouled in the box by Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt.Hide Caption 3 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itRose Lavelle, third from left, celebrates after adding the team's second goal in the 69th minute.Hide Caption 4 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itMorgan celebrates her tournament-leading sixth goal in the 2-1 semifinal win against England on Tuesday, July 2. Rapinoe and England's Ellen White later tied her.Hide Caption 5 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saves a penalty by England's Steph Houghton late in the semifinal. The goal preserved the Americans' 2-1 lead.Hide Caption 6 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itMorgan made headlines with her tea-drinking goal celebration against England. The goal came on what was her 30th birthday.Hide Caption 7 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itMany fans were perplexed when Rapinoe was left out of the starting lineup of the England match. She didn't participate in warmups, either. It was announced after the match that she was nursing a slight hamstring strain. She was back in the lineup for the final.Hide Caption 8 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itChristen Press, left, celebrates her opening goal against England with Lindsey Horan. Press was the surprise starter in place of Rapinoe.Hide Caption 9 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itRapinoe celebrates one of her two goals in the 2-1 victory over France in the quarterfinals. After being embroiled in a war of words with US President Donald Trump, Rapinoe became the focus of unprecedented scrutiny during this World Cup.Hide Caption 10 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS defender Abby Dahlkemper, left, and France's Valerie Gauvin battle for a header. Many experts considered France to be the Americans' biggest challenger in this tournament.Hide Caption 11 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itMorgan is challenged by French players Amandine Henry, left, and Amel Majri.Hide Caption 12 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itThe US team huddles before the second half of the France match.Hide Caption 13 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS forward Jessica McDonald holds her son, Jeremiah, after the France win.Hide Caption 14 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itRapinoe slots home a goal from the penalty spot during the Americans' 2-1 victory over Spain in the round of 16. Rapinoe again had both goals. Both were off penalties.Hide Caption 15 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itSpanish forward Jennifer Hermoso and US defender Kelley O'Hara compete for a header.Hide Caption 16 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS midfielder Julie Ertz gets a kiss from her husband, NFL star Zach Ertz, after the Americans defeated Sweden 2-0 in the final match of the group stage.Hide Caption 17 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itHoran, right, scored the opening goal against Sweden in the third minute. At left is US midfielder Rose Lavelle. The Americans didn't allow a goal in their three group matches, winning them by a combined score of 18-0.Hide Caption 18 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS head coach Jill Ellis sings the National Anthem before the group-stage match against Chile. Ellis was also the coach when the US team won the World Cup four years ago.Hide Caption 19 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itUS fans celebrate a goal in the Americans' 3-0 victory over Chile. Thousands of US fans made the trip to France.Hide Caption 20 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itChile's Javiera Tora, left, and US midfielder Mallory Pugh focus on the ball.Hide Caption 21 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itCarli Lloyd, the Golden Ball winner from the 2015 World Cup, scored the third US goal against Chile. This year, she was mostly used as a substitute.Hide Caption 22 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itYoung US fans watch the match against Chile.Hide Caption 23 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itRapinoe celebrates her goal during the team's 13-0 rout over Thailand. It was the largest win in World Cup history for any team, men or women. But the team was criticized for the way it celebrated many of its late goals.Hide Caption 24 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itLloyd consoles some of the Thai players after the blowout victory.Hide Caption 25 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itLloyd is closed down by a Thai defender in the opening match.Hide Caption 26 of 27 Photos: The US women just won another World Cup. Here's how they did itO'Hara, foreground, cheers on her teammates after a goal against Thailand.Hide Caption 27 of 27In Rapinoe, the squad has a player of global acclaim who will fight and speak loudly on their behalf. She celebrated in Lyon as she did in Paris -- when she scored against France just days after irking Trump -- her arms outstretched in a statuesque pose before being engulfed by teammates.Her now signature celebration, a pose which can be seen emblazoned on T-shirts, epresents her attitude, she explained. "I'm generally pretty off the cuff," she said when asked about her celebration."This just felt right in this moment to have me and the person and the things I stand for with a big sh*t-eating grin of your face in all of our glory, I say that as my team and all the women's players that have played in this tournament and around the world."I feel that it's kind of iconic of everything that we've gone through and continue to go through and yet we still put this beautiful product out on the pitch."That Rapinoe used the word "iconic" was apt as that is what she and her team have become after a month where they have blazed a trail both on and off the pitch.READ: 'We're crazy, that's what makes us special,' says US starJust before Rapinoe had walked into the press conference to hold court, Ellis was asked whether the attention her player had received in recent weeks was a distraction. "Megan was built for this, build for these moments, built to be a spokesperson for others," she replied. "I've sat in a couple of press conferences with her and she's just incredibly eloquent, speaks from her heart and we need people like that in the game -- to be honest, to call things for what they are. "In terms of her dealing with this, I've never had any issue with that. For the past four, five years I've seen what she's capable of. The bigger the spotlight, the more she shines. For Megan, it highlights who she is."	5sport
(CNN)Dressed in a glistening wetsuit, and sitting behind the wheel of a golf cart, Sam Harrison admits he looks like the most absurd fish out of water you've ever seen.Get him in a lake, however, and the 22-year-old is a real-life treasure hunter with the instinct of a shark, able to uncover his prey in zero visibility and sub-zero temperatures.In this case, the prey is golf balls. And with an estimated 300 million of the wayward white orbs lost in the U.S. alone each year, there is serious money to be made from their recovery -- if you're willing to take the plunge.Imagine swimming in a milkshake of silt. Now add weeds, broken bottles and every type of critter from leeches, to water snakes, even crocodiles, and you've pretty much got the idea of the perils of golf-ball diving.Follow @cnnsport Making money from misfortuneRead MoreFor even the world's best golfers, one of the most fearsome holes in sport will rear its watery head this week at the prestigious PLAYERS Championship in TPC Sawgrass, Florida -- the infamous 17th hole.The "Island Green," as it is known, is a peninsula measuring just over 120 meters, completely surrounded by water. It's a nightmare for players, and a potential gold mine for golf-ball divers.The precariously placed 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, Florida, has claimed many victims over the years. But for those unable to plunge the depths of Sawgrass' bountiful lakes, is the job of golf-ball diving really worth the effort?"On average, you'll find 5,000 balls per lake," says Harrison, who -- when not taking a leap of faith on Britain's golf courses -- can be found working as a banker in London. "Say we're selling the balls we find at an average 50p (75 cents)," explains the co-founder of Lake Ball Diving. "That would give us £2,500 ($3,700)," said Harrison, estimating that in a year he could earn up to £100,000 ($150,000).It's a similar story in America, according to Paul Lovelace, who has been diving for "white gold" over the past three decades."I think everybody has a dream of diving for sunken treasure -- and that's basically what we're doing every day," says the 54-year-old owner of Golf Ball Paul's, who previously worked as a search-and-recovery diver on offshore oil rigs."It's the thrill of the hunt."The fairest of them all: The Titleist Pro V1 golf ball is a prize catch for divers.The most prized catch of all is the Titleist Pro V1. Pluck a bagload of these premier balls from the bottom of a sludge-filled lake, he says, and you know it's a good day."A perfect Titleist? You can retail that for $2," says Lovelace, speaking by phone from his Kansas warehouse, stacked high with bulky sacks of balls waiting to be washed and sorted for sale.But even before he or Harrison hit the water, there are significant outlay costs. On both sides of the pond (in this case, the Atlantic Ocean,) golf courses charge divers between 7-10c per ball they find. And that can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars.Nature callsOnce in the water, you're lucky to see more than a foot in front of you, and Lovelace has one piece of advice for new divers: "If you're grabbing stuff down there and it's not round -- don't pick it up!""In the Midwest we have snapping turtles, and they can take off fingers and hands and toes and other extremities if you're not careful."In other parts of the world, the risks are more extreme. Last year, 29-year-old Jacques van der Sandt was killed by a crocodile after retrieving golf balls from a national park in South Africa. While in Florida, 51-year-old Steve Martinez was bitten by an alligator while diving at a country club.In some parts of the U.S., divers have the added danger of alligators, such as this one at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In the UK, Harrison often comes face to face with water snakes. "Sometimes you rough up the reeds and you can see one of them swimming towards you," he says, adding that he's usually face-down in pitch black darkness with nothing more than a fog light and a rake.But perhaps more worrying is the water itself. "On some courses, the lakes are more like sewers," he says. "In those stagnant pools you can catch diseases, so you have to wear a head guard, a bit like an all-in-one wetsuit, so nothing can get on you."One man's trashThe bizarre array of objects buried at the bottom of a lake tell of woe on the sporting field. Not just the odd golf club hurled in anger, but entire bags -- and even a motorized cart -- have been found by divers.If you're getting into this messy business because you enjoy scuba diving in tropical locales, you better think again, says Harrison."Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather be diving in the Red Sea, seeing some picturesque fish than broken beer bottles," he says."But overall I generally enjoy it. And you never know," he adds, "you might find a lake where you hit the jackpot."Read: Tiger Woods hits new lowWatch: The world' leading golf course architects	5sport
Story highlights Macedonia closes border with Greece, where 11,000-plus migrants are stranded Macedonia is latest country along the main Balkan migrant route to close its doorsU.N. agency: Mass return of refugees to Turkey wouldn't be "consistent with European law" (CNN)Turkey and the European Union say they have agreed on key points of a "bold" proposal to help resolve the migrant crisis, aimed at deterring migrants from attempting the perilous journey to Europe.Under the proposed deal, Ankara would agree to take back all migrants who leave Turkey's shores for Europe in the future, including those intercepted in its territorial waters, on the condition that one legitimate Syrian refugee is resettled in Europe for every Syrian returned to Turkey.JUST WATCHEDAlong the Greece-Macedonia borderReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAlong the Greece-Macedonia border 01:01EU-Turkey migrant deal in 5 questions -- how would it actually work?But international humanitarian groups have harshly criticized parts of the agreement, with a senior official from the U.N. refugee agency saying Tuesday that sending back refugees en masse would not be "consistent with European law.""An agreement that would be tantamount to a blanket return to a third country is not consistent with European law, not consistent with international law," Vincent Cochetel, Europe regional director of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.Read MoreEU chief: Irregular migration into Europe is 'over'The plan would also see the EU provide Turkey with billions in additional funding for refugees, speed up talks on Turkey joining the EU and accelerate the lifting of visa requirements for Turkish citizens in Europe. The proposal still requires details to be hammered out before being sent for approval by EU leaders next week. "The days of irregular migration to the European Union are over," said Donald Tusk, president of the European Council -- as the group of 28 EU leaders is known -- at the end of this week's emergency summit in Brussels, Belgium.He said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had "confirmed Turkey's commitment to accept the rapid return of all migrants coming from Turkey to Greece that are not in need of international protection." "The EU will support Greece in ensuring comprehensive, large-scale and fast-track returns to Turkey," Tusk said.A statement from EU heads of government said they agreed that "bold moves were needed" to break the business model of smugglers, highlighting the importance of a NATO anti-trafficking mission in the Aegean Sea that just expanded into Greek and Turkish territorial waters."We need to break the link between getting in a boat and getting settlement in Europe," the statement said.Davutoglu said that his country, which hosts more Syrian refugees than any other, was motivated to enter into the arrangement primarily out of humanitarian concern."We don't want to see women and children dying in the Aegean Sea," he told reporters, according to Turkey's semiofficial Anadolu news agency. Balkans migration route effectively closedEuropean leaders are grappling with the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than 1 million people having entered EU territory since the start of 2015. Most of the migrants are from Syria, where the civil war has created more than 4 million refugees and displaced a further 6 million within the country.The majority have come by using trafficking networks to cross the Aegean, which separates Turkey and Greece, before heading overland through the Balkans to Germany and other northern European countries.JUST WATCHEDOver 10,000 migrants stranded at borderReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOver 10,000 migrants stranded at border 02:42The crossing is dangerous, with more than 400 migrants having died so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.Recently, a number of countries along the Balkan migration route agreed to all but close their borders, leaving a bottleneck of desperate migrants stranded in Greece, already struggling with a debt crisis. Thousands of refugees stuck on Greece-Macedonia border as new rules take holdTusk confirmed at the summit's end that EU leaders had decided to "end the 'wave-through approach'" through countries along the overland route to Western Europe."Irregular flows of migrants along the Western Balkans route have now come to an end," the EU heads of government said in a joint statement.Making good on that vow, Serbia closed its southern borders, with Macedonia and Bulgaria, at midnight Tuesday, before Macedonia followed suit, sealing its border with Greece."We stopped accepting migrants at the border with Greece March 8 due to the fact that the Serbian government stopped accepting migrants on March 6 and the migrants couldn't reach their destination," a spokeswoman for the Macedonian Interior Ministry told CNN.More than 11,000 people have been stuck on the Greece-Macedonia border in a transit camp at Idomeni designed for 1,500, according to Doctors Without Borders.Serbia said it learned from Croatia that Slovenia, another EU member, would not receive migrants without valid visas and passports, effectively closing the Balkan route. "Serbia cannot afford to become a collection center for refugees, so it will consolidate all measures with the European Union, and reciprocally apply them in its southern and eastern borders with Macedonia and Bulgaria," Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs told CNN in an email.Those with no visas 'cannot enter the Schengen area'In Slovenia, the Government Communications Office director confirmed that the country was closing its borders at midnight Tuesday. "People who don't have proper documents -- i.e. people who don't have papers for Schengen -- cannot enter the Schengen area," Kristina Krajnc Plavsak told CNN. "We are strictly implementing Schengen rules." She said the closure comes in coordination with Slovenia's neighbors and with other countries on the Balkan route, and it was not a unilateral decision.Tusk said the EU would deploy "massive humanitarian assistance" to Greece to help it respond to the effects of the route's closure and would offer aid for the country to manage its external border.Migrants were sent back from Greece to Turkey last week, Tusk said, in what he described as the "first visible step" of the Greek-Turkish bilateral agreement. Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA woman cries after being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea about 15 miles north of Sabratha, Libya, on July 25, 2017. More than 6,600 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in January 2018, according to the UN migration agency, and more than 240 people died on the Mediterranean Sea during that month.Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees and migrants get off a fishing boat at the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey in October 2015.Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosHide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants step over dead bodies while being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Libya in October 2016. Agence France-Presse photographer Aris Messinis was on a Spanish rescue boat that encountered several crowded migrant boats. Messinis said the rescuers counted 29 dead bodies -- 10 men and 19 women, all between 20 and 30 years old. "I've (seen) in my career a lot of death," he said. "I cover war zones, conflict and everything. I see a lot of death and suffering, but this is something different. Completely different."Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosAuthorities stand near the body of 2-year-old Alan Kurdi on the shore of Bodrum, Turkey, in September 2015. Alan, his brother and their mother drowned while fleeing Syria. This photo was shared around the world, often with a Turkish hashtag that means "Flotsam of Humanity."Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants board a train at Keleti station in Budapest, Hungary, after the station was reopened in September 2015.Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosChildren cry as migrants in Greece try to break through a police cordon to cross into Macedonia in August 2015. Thousands of migrants -- most of them fleeing Syria's bitter conflict -- were stranded in a no-man's land on the border.Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosThe Kusadasi Ilgun, a sunken 20-foot boat, lies in waters off the Greek island of Samos in November 2016. Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants bathe outside near a makeshift shelter in an abandoned warehouse in Subotica, Serbia, in January 2017.Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA police officer in Calais, France, tries to prevent migrants from heading for the Channel Tunnel to England in June 2015.Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA migrant walks past a burning shack in the southern part of the "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais, France, in March 2016. Part of the camp was being demolished -- and the inhabitants relocated -- in response to unsanitary conditions at the site.Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants stumble as they cross a river north of Idomeni, Greece, attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border-control fence in March 2016.Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosIn September 2015, an excavator dumps life vests that were previously used by migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos.Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosThe Turkish coast guard helps refugees near Aydin, Turkey, after their boat toppled en route to Greece in January 2016.Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA woman sits with children around a fire at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni in March 2016.Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA column of migrants moves along a path between farm fields in Rigonce, Slovenia, in October 2015.Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA ship crowded with migrants flips onto its side in May 2016 as an Italian navy ship approaches off the coach of Libya. Passengers had rushed to the port side, a shift in weight that proved too much. Five people died and more than 500 were rescued.Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees break through a barbed-wire fence on the Greece-Macedonia border in February 2016, as tensions boiled over regarding new travel restrictions into Europe.Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosPolicemen try to disperse hundreds of migrants by spraying them with fire extinguishers during a registration procedure in Kos, Greece, in August 2015.Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA member of the humanitarian organization Sea-Watch holds a migrant baby who drowned following the capsizing of a boat off Libya in May 2016.Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA migrant in Gevgelija, Macedonia, tries to sneak onto a train bound for Serbia in August 2015.Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants, most of them from Eritrea, jump into the Mediterranean from a crowded wooden boat during a rescue operation about 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya, in August 2016.Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees rescued off the Libyan coast get their first sight of Sardinia as they sail in the Mediterranean Sea toward Cagliari, Italy, in September 2015.Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosLocal residents and rescue workers help migrants from the sea after a boat carrying them sank off the island of Rhodes, Greece, in April 2015.Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosInvestigators in Burgenland, Austria, inspect an abandoned truck that contained the bodies of refugees who died of suffocation in August 2015. The 71 victims -- most likely fleeing war-ravaged Syria -- were 60 men, eight women and three children.Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosSyrian refugees sleep on the floor of a train car taking them from Macedonia to the Serbian border in August 2015. How to help the ongoing migrant crisisHide Caption 26 of 26Concerns about the proposalOther humanitarian organizations were quick to join the U.N. refugee agency in criticizing the proposal -- in particular, the mass return of refugees to Turkey. Amnesty International said the plan showed an "alarmingly short-sighted and inhumane attitude" to the migrant crisis and would deal a "death blow to the right to seek asylum."JUST WATCHEDThousands of refugees call abandoned Olympic Park homeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThousands of refugees call abandoned Olympic Park home 02:44The statement said Amnesty opposed "the concept of a 'safe third country' in general, as this undermines the individual right to have asylum claims fully and fairly processed," and that there was "huge cause for concern" about sending migrants to Turkey, "given the current situation and treatment of migrants and refugees."The statement attacked the "horse trading" concept of resettling a Syrian refugee in Europe for every compatriot sent back to Turkey, saying the proposal would make "every resettlement place offered to a Syrian in the EU contingent upon another Syrian risking their life by embarking on the deadly sea route to Greece.""The idea of bartering refugees for refugees is not only dangerously dehumanizing, but also offers no sustainable long-term solution to the ongoing humanitarian crisis," said Iverna McGowan, head of Amnesty's European Institutions Office.Amnesty also expressed concern about the closure of the Balkan migration route, which would "lead to thousands of vulnerable people being left in the cold with no clear plan on how their urgent humanitarian needs and rights to international protection would be dealt with."The International Rescue Committee lauded the meeting in Brussels but warned that "closing all of Europe's borders without offering alternative routes to safety will not work.""In fact," the organization said, "the only winners will be the smugglers, as people take more elaborate and more dangerous routes to safety."U.N. refugee agency spokesman William Spindler said refugees should be returned to a third country only if certain safeguards were in place, such as a protections against "refoulement," a legal term used to describe returning asylum seekers somewhere they would be at risk.Spindler called for the details of these safeguards to be clarified before the proposal was next put to EU leaders at a crisis meeting scheduled for March 17.More funding to TurkeyLate last year, the European Union and Turkey agreed to a joint action plan in response to the migrant crisis. European leaders agreed to pay Turkey 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to support its refugee population and target people-smuggling networks -- a mission that has seen NATO warships deployed to the eastern Mediterranean this year.JUST WATCHEDNATO: We decided to 'step up our efforts' on refugeesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNATO: We decided to 'step up our efforts' on refugees 07:37Tusk said that "despite good implementation" of that plan, it had failed to reduce the migrant flow sufficiently and that extra steps were necessary. The new proposal would focus on speeding up the disbursement of the 3 billion euros already pledged to Turkey as well as providing new funding to alleviate the crisis. Turkey requested an extra 3 billion euros at this week's summit, according to European Parliament President Martin Schulz.The EU would bear the cost of returning the migrants to Turkey under the proposal. Syrian refugees settled in the EU under terms of the deal would be distributed among member states "within the framework of the existing commitments," a joint statement from the EU heads of government said.UK sends boats to Aegean Sea ahead of summitLast year, the EU agreed to resettle 160,000 refugees, but less than 1,000 have been processed so far. CNN's Arwa Damon, Laura Perez Maestro, Karen Smith and Don Melvin contributed to this report.	3news
Story highlightsA report says the BBC investigated allegations of corruption but not complaints from young girlsThe BBC missed five opportunities to stop sexual predators Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall, it saysDJ Tony Blackburn says he has been fired because his testimony did not jibe with that of BBC officialsLondon (CNN)Despite their serial child abuse and sexual offenses, British television personalities Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall were allowed to operate within the BBC with impunity between 1959 and 2006, a damning report has found.As she presented her independent review Thursday, Dame Janet Smith called the reaction of the BBC to allegations of misconduct "illuminating.""It investigated allegations of corruption but did not investigate complaints from young girls," she said.She called Savile and Hall "serial sexual predators" and said the BBC missed five opportunities to stop their misconduct, which persisted for decades.The BBC commissioned the report by Dame Janet, a former High Court judge, in 2012, to look at its culture and practices and and culture during the period that Savile was employed there -- from the mid-1960s until 2007.Read MoreBBC employees afraid to report Savile to their superiorsThe answer, Dame Janet said, was that they were poor: People knew that Savile was a sexual predator but were afraid to report it to their superiors.Savile, a longtime television host and celebrity, was considered a national treasure during his lifetime. He died in 2011 at the age of 84.Since then, hundreds of complaints of sexual assault have been made against Savile. According to police, three-quarters of his alleged victims were under 18, and they included one as young as 8.And Stuart Hall, a former BBC television host and sports commentator, pleaded guilty in 2013 to indecently assaulting 13 girls between the ages of 9 and 17 over a 20-year period. He was sentenced to 1½ years in prison and was recently released after serving less than half his sentence.Fired BBC DJ denies 'any misconduct'There was another BBC casualty this week, apparently as a result of the latest investigation: Disc jockey Tony Blackburn said he had been fired as a result of testimony he gave.BBC manages to sack Tony Blackburn on a dispute over evidence. Everyone else keeps their job. #scapegoat #SavileEnquiry— Frank Bath (@FrankBath) February 25, 2016 Blackburn said allegations were made against him by the mother of a 15-year-old girl -- allegations he said were false. The girl later committed suicide.According to a statement Blackburn posted on Twitter, the BBC presented evidence to Dame Janet to the effect that, following the allegation, Blackburn had been interviewed about it by a senior BBC manager and a lawyer.But, Blackburn said, he was never interviewed by either the manager or the lawyer and told that to the latest inquiry, thereby embarrassing BBC officials."Dame Janet's report makes no suggestion that I was guilty 45 years ago of any misconduct with this girl," Blackburn said in his Twitter statement. "... The BBC have made clear that they are not terminating my relationship with them because of any misconduct. They are destroying my career and reputation because my version of events does not tally with theirs."	3news
Story highlightsAC Milan friendly game abandoned following racist chantingKevin Prince-Boateng leads players off the field during game against Pro PatriaSection of crowd abused Milan's black players before game called off midway through first halfMilan boss hits out at 'uncivilized gestures'This season matches across Europe have been punctuated by repeated outbursts of racism and on Thursday AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng took matters into his own hands after leading his side off the field of play after being subjected to racist abuse.Ahead of the resumption of the Serie A season at the weekend, the German, who plays for Ghana's national team, was targeted by fans of fourth division side Pro Patria in a friendly during the match along with a number of other black Milan players.Milan's website reported M'Baye Niang, Urby Emanuelson and Sulley Muntari were the targets of racist abuse.The game was suspended midway through the first half when Boateng, who was visibly upset by the chanting, picked up the ball and kicked it into the crowd.After the incident, Boateng tweeted: "Shame that these things still happen... #StopRacismforever."The 25-year-old ripped off his shirt in disgust before being joined by his teammates and opposition players in walking off the field.Fan group calls on team not to sign black players Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern Europe Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeSerbia scuffles – England midfielder Danny Rose claims he was subjected to monkey chants before, during and after the second-leg of their Under-21 Euro 2013 playoff match against Serbia on Tuesday, and had stones thrown at him by the crowd in Krusevac. Fans also ran on to the pitch and scuffles broke out after a 1-0 win secured England qualification for Euro 2013.Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeMacedonia punished – The Macedonia FA were fined $26,000 after fans racially abused England trio Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Emile Heskey during a qualifying game for Euro 2004.Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeTrouble in Bulgaria – In September 2011, Bulgaria were fined $55,000 after a small number of fans directed monkey chants at England's Ashley Young, Cole and Theo Walcott during a Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeRussian FA hit with fine – Russia was hit with a $38,000 punishment after supporters made monkey noises towards Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie during Euro 2012 Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeCroatia in the dock – The Croatian FA were ordered to pay a $16,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of "displaying a racist banner and showing racist conduct during the Euro 2008 quarter-final tie against Turkey.Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeCrackdown on Russia – Russia were again in the news for the wrong reasons at Euro 2012 and were fined $39,00 for "the setting off and throwing of fireworks by Russia spectators, displaying of illicit banners and the invasion of the pitch by a supporter," during the Euro 2012 tie against Poland. Russia was also fined $155,000 after clashes between supporters and police during and after their game against the Czech Republic.Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropeBendtner loses gamble – Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner was given a one-match ban and a $126,000 fine after he lifted his shirt to reveal a betting company's logo on his underwear while celebrating a goal against Portugal in a Euro 2012 group game. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Soccer racism in Eastern EuropePorto punished – Porto were hit by a $27,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of subjecting Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli to monkey chants during a Europa League game in February 2012. It took UEFA six weeks to finally hand out a punishment. But questions were raised after UEFA also fined City $40,000 after the club were found guilty of coming back out on to the field of play late after the halftime interval.Hide Caption 8 of 8JUST WATCHEDPFA chairman: Serbia should be banned ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPFA chairman: Serbia should be banned 01:15 Photos: Football's battle with racism Photos: Football's battle with racismPericard calls for unity – Vincent Pericard was born in Cameroon, before moving to France at an early age. He started his career at French club St Etienne, before joining Italy's Juventus. He left the Serie A club in 2002 to come to England, where he played for a number of clubs, most notably Portsmouth and Stoke City, before retiring at the age of 29. He has called for a united front in the fight against racism. Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismRoberts boycott – Each season anti-discrimination organisation Kick it Out holds a week of action to promote awareness about its anti-racism work. But Reading's Grenadian striker Jason Roberts, who has played in England for the last 15 years, has said he will not wear the Kick It Out T-shirt in protest at what he perceives to be the campaign group's lack of action in combating racism in football.Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismUgly scenes in Serbia – Earlier this week, Danny Rose, a midfielder on loan at English Premier League side Sunderland from Tottenham Hotspur, claims he was subjected to monkey chants before, during and after England's Under-21 match in Serbia, while also alleging he had stones thrown at him by the crowd during the game.Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismLazio fined – Lazio was hit with a $52,000 fine by UEFA following racist chanting by its supporters during the Europa League fixture with Tottenham last month. But leading figures within the games say it is time for clubs and countries to be banned from playing matches if they are found guilty of racist abuse.Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismTerry accepts punishment – On Thursday, Chelsea captain John Terry opted not to appeal the English Football Association's verdict that he racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismWhere it all began – It is now nearly a year since Chelsea lost to QPR 1-0 in an English Premier League game at Loftus Road. During the game it was alleged QPR defender Ferdinand swore at Terry and made reference to the Chelsea captain's reported affair with the ex-partner of former team-mate Wayne Bridge. Terry is then said to have described Ferdinand as a "f*ing black c".Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismBeyond reasonable doubt – In July, Terry was cleared in a London court, where the criminal burden of proof is "beyond all reasonable doubt".Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismHandshake snub – But the English Football Association then investigated the case, and using the test of "on the balance of probabilities", came to the conclusion that Terry's defence against claims he racially abused Ferdinand was "improbable, implausible, contrived". In September, Ferdinand declined Terry's offer of a handshake when QPR met Chelsea at Loftus Road as the feud between the two players rumbled on.Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racism'Twatgate' – After an independent commission's report on the Terry case, the Chelsea captain's teammate Ashley Cole tweeted: "Hahahahaa, well done #fa I lied did I, #BUNCHOFT**S". The Chelsea and England left-back quickly issued a "unreserved apology" for his tweet through his solicitor, but he was fined $145,000 by the FA.Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismSuarez punished – In 2011 the FA had to deal with another racism case, this time handing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight-match ban and a $63,000 fine after finding the Uruguayan guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismThe end of the affair – Suarez and Evra failed to shake hands before the start of an English Premier League game at Old Trafford last season after the Uruguayan had served his ban. However, when United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in September, the pair did shake hands.Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: Football's battle with racismGovernance – The last year has proved uncomfortable for the FA and questions have been raised over the differing punishments handed out to Terry and Suarez.Hide Caption 12 of 12"We are disappointed and saddened by what has happened," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri told reporters."Milan play for the right to respect all players. We need to stop these uncivilized gestures."We are sorry for all the other fans who came here for a beautiful day of sport. "We promise to return, and we are sorry for the club and players of Pro Patria, but we could not make any other decision. "I hope it can be an important signal."Italian Football Association president Giancarlo Abete also hit out at the unsavoury scenes and announced an investigation into the incident.Abete said in a statement on the Italian FA website, www.figc.it: "No sanction or measure can erase the disdain for an unspeakable and intolerable episode."We must react with force and without silence to isolate the few criminals that transformed a friendly match into an uproar that offends all of Italian football."Eto'o: We can't wait until a black player gets killedBoateng is not the first footballer to take a stand over racist abuse.Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o threatened to leave the field back in February 2006 after being subjected to racist abuse and pelted with bottles during a game against Real Zaragoza.The Cameroon forward, who now plays for Anzhi Makhachkala, tried to walk off only to be persuaded to remain by then manager Frank Rijkaard.And in 2011, Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos walked off the field after a banana was thrown at him during a Russian league game.Carlos, who was 38 at the time, was playing for Anzhi in the city of Samara in the Caucasus region. The Brazilian is now Anzhi's team director.After picking up the banana, Carlos walked off the field visibly upset before sitting on the bench.Ahead of the European Championship finals in Poland and Ukraine, UEFA president Michel Platini had urged players to allow the referee to deal with the problem of racist abuse, and stressed that officials could stop games if necessary.Platini: Referees will deal with racists "It is a referee's job to stop the match and he is to do so if there are any problems of this kind," said PlatiniHowever UEFA has come under criticism for the punishments it has handed out rearding racist abuse.UEFA appeals Serbia sanctionsIn December UEFA appealed the decision of its own disciplinary committee after the Serbian Football Association was fined $105,000 for improper conduct by Europe's governing bogy following allegations of racist abuse during the under-21 game with England.That fine was far less than that handed out to Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner, who was forced to pay $125,800 for exposing boxer shorts with the logo of an online betting company during the European Championship Finals.Last year, Manchester City officials were infuriated after the club was fined $40,000 by UEFA for taking to the pitch late for a Europa League game -- $13,000 more than Porto's sanction for fans' racist abuse during a game against the English team.Milan's squad captain Massimo Ambrosini gave his backing to Boateng's actions, insisting a "message had to be sent against uncivilized people."New 'dark age' for English football, or a new dawn?"I am sorry for all those who were at the stadium but a strong message had to be sent," said Ambrosini. "AC Milan will make an effort to go back to Busto Arsizio especially for the children and for those who have nothing to do with racism but a message had to be sent against such uncivilized people."AC Milan director Umberto Gandini added on Twitter: "Very proud of the Milan players who decided to walk off the pitch today for racist abuse from few idiots! No racism, no stupidity!"Milan returns to league action on Sunday against Siena.PatoMeanwhile, World Club Cup winners Corinthians has announced it has agreed a $19.6 million deal with Milan for Brazil striker Alexandre Pato.The 23-year-old, who joined Milan in 2007 from Internacional, scored 63 goals for the Italian giant during his five-year stint with the club.But his career has been hampered by injuries in recent years, with the forward managing just 11 appearances last season and seven so far this campaign."In the coming days, Pato, who will wear the number seven shirt, will undergo a medical and then sign a four-year contract," said a club statement.Milan confirmed the deal on its official website: "AC Milan can announce that Alexandre Pato has been sold outright to Sporting Club Corinthians Paulista."In an open letter on the club's website, Pato said: "I wish to salute and especially thank everyone. From the president to the many people I worked with in these unforgettable years at Milan. "I am going to Brazil, to Corinthians, so I'll have the opportunity to play consistently. It will not, however, be easy to forget Milan. "I will always be tied to this jersey, the club colours and all the Rossoneri fans. Above all at this moment my thoughts and my biggest thanks go to them."	5sport
(CNN)As the Olympic and Paralympic movement grapples with Tokyo 2020's postponement amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, Mallory Weggemann understands. She is built for adaptation."As Paralympic athletes this is our job," Weggemann told CNN Sport. "We are constantly in a fight with our bodies and we are constantly finding ways to adapt."On January 21, 2008, Weggemann went to the hospital to receive an epidural injection -- her third -- to help treat back pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia. The injections were supposed to help with debilitating pain. Instead, they left her a paraplegic -- with complete loss of movement from her abdomen down. "There is a piece of me that feels like this isn't that different from when I was paralyzed or when my arm injury happened," added Weggemann, referring to another debilitating setback in 2014 when she sustained permanent nerve damage to her left arm after a fall. Read More"I'm leaning on the knowledge that I've gotten through these things before. It's okay for us to feel the emotions. Right now I am controlling what I can control."READ: Japanese PM and IOC chief agree to postpone 2020 Olympics until 2021Mallory Weggemann of USA smiles at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.A competitive swimmer since the age of 7, Weggemann found herself back in pool only three months after her life-altering injury. In the four years that followed, she broke 34 American records, 15 world records and became a two-time Paralympic medalist at the London Paralympic Games in 2012, winning a gold and bronze medal. Most Paralympic athletes have stories like these. They are always credited for their ability to "inspire." But in times like these, they are in a unique position to offer even more."Paralympians understand mental fortitude. For so many of us, our daily lives are ever-evolving," added Weggemann."That is part of our DNA. If you become a Paralympian, you have mastered that. You know how to handle an ever changing environment. For us, it's our bodies. Our impairments bring uncertainty and that's our normal. "From a training standpoint, many of us have been in situations like this before. Our daily fight is getting back to the point where we can perform the tasks needed to live and train."'Grieving process'Even so, Weggemann admits Tuesday's official announcement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took its toll. The two sides agreed to push the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics back by a year.It's another devastating setback in a seven-year comeback she had been mounting since her last injury."It really is the best decision for the health and public safety of all. I think there will be a grieving process for many athletes," she added."While I am beyond grateful cancellation isn't on the table and that decisions are being made to keep everyone safe and healthy, it still brings a level of heartbreak."Weggemann says she is "constantly in a fight" with her body.After the coronavirus brought the sports world to a full stop in what felt like a matter of days, the decision to move forward with the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo was the last, and by far the largest, looming question mark.IOC Thomas Bach offered a four-week timetable to make a decision, but pressure from national governing bodies and many individual athletes forced answers sooner rather than later. There is still much we don't know about this novel virus, including the possibility of another surge that could result from a global coming together of 11,000 athletes from across the world.For thousands of athletes like Mallory, it's another bump in an Olympic road that began long ago. The emotions are mixed. Key qualifying events had already been canceled across a variety of sports. The US Olympic and Paralympic training centers in Colorado Springs and Lake Placid had closed their doors last week for at least 30 days, leaving hundreds of athletes to find other options. Weggeman had to have equipment from a local gym donated to her garage. The recovery facilities which she depends on for recovery and the soft tissue work post workout also were shuttered. JUST WATCHED'Queen of the Ball' fights for equality in basketballReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'Queen of the Ball' fights for equality in basketball 03:55Not forgetting all the hard work and sacrifice lost."I was with my coach and his family on Monday (March 16) and we were making a plan for when the pools would close. When I realized I didn't have a pool, I just broke. All of us have so many emotions wrapped up in this. "It's hard not to go down the rabbit hole of thinking about the worst. I've been fighting for seven years to get back to this point."We got married after Rio and our entire future has been around planning for Tokyo," added Weggemman, who is married to Jeremy Synder. "We've put having children on hold. We've put our entire lives on hold."Given her character, Weggemann is already searching for positives."Obviously, whatever Tokyo looks like, we are 100% committed. In a perfect world, I would have loved to see them still happen safely. The Olympics and Paralympics could be what we need to bring the world together again," she said."As athletes, we are all in the same boat. Every single one of us is in this together. We've all committed a lot to this dream."After her arm injury in 2014, Weggemann fought like crazy to make it to the Rio Games, only to walk away without a medal.She was pulled out of the water for a year and a half, while she underwent two major surgeries in 2017 to remove muscles from her arms.Every day while she was bedridden, she never lost sight of her dream for Tokyo. She's been fighting for another shot at the Paralympic podium since she first sat atop the one in London back in 2012. Now the fight continues for another year."As Paralympians, this is when we shine. This is what we've been through our entire lives."	5sport
Story highlightsMartin Kaymer posts his first victory of 2012 in his final event of the seasonGerman wins $1.25 million first prize at Nedbank Challenge in South AfricaFellow Ryder Cup winner Graeme McDowell wins $1.2 million at World ChallengeMcDowell upstages host Tiger Woods to claim his first win since 2010Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell tasted team success at September's Ryder Cup, but the former major winners have had to wait a long time for individual glory this year.That ended on Sunday as former world No. 1 Kaymer clinched his first tournament win since November 2011 and McDowell posted his first victory since 2010 in another exhibition tournament."I'm very happy to finally win this year, that was the most important thing for me because I was practicing very hard," Kaymer said after landing the $1.25 million first prize at the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. "I played very well the last few weeks and months, but it just did not happen for me on the golf course."The German finished two shots clear of South Africa's 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel in a 12-man field that also included 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and former world No. 1 Lee Westwood. Photos: McIlroy on top of the world Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldIcing on the cake – Rory McIlroy capped a sensational year with victory at the Dubai World Championship on Sunday. The Northern Irishman won five tournaments in 2012, including his second major, topped the money list on both the PGA and European Tours and ended the season as the world's No. 1 player.Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldStreets ahead – After a solid start to the season McIlroy's year took off with victory at the Honda Classic in March. By holding off a chasing pack that included Tiger Woods and Keegan Bradley, the 23-year-old became world No. 1 for the first time in his career.Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldMajor success – After a mid-season slump, McIlroy roared back to form with an eight-shot victory at the PGA Championship to seal his second major triumph. It was the biggest winning margin in majors history, as he took the record from Jack Nicklaus -- the game's greatest ever player.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldThe real deal – McIlroy was almost unstoppable now as he secured victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship to take the lead in the PGA Tour's Fed Ex Cup -- the finale to their regular season.Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldCooking on gas – The following week the 23-year-old was in the winner's circle again, this time taking top honors at the BMW Championship. He became the first player to record back to back victories on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods in 2009.Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldTaming Tiger – McIlroy's friendship with Tiger Woods blossomed during the 2012 season. The two even took each other on at an exhibition tournament in China in front of a huge crowd. McIlroy won by one shot. Both players reportedly shared $3 million for taking part.Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldMiracle of Medinah – If McIlroy was on song in the individual stakes, he more than played his part in Europe's stunning comeback to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah in Chicago. McIlroy nearly forfeited his singles match by missing the start due to confusion over time zones, but earned a vital point for his side by beating Keegan Bradley as Europe eventually came back from 10-6 down to win 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: McIlroy on top of the worldLucky charm – McIlroy was watched every step of the way in Dubai by his girlfriend -- tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.Hide Caption 8 of 8 Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Cinderella story – American rookie Charlie Beljan wins the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic just two days after being taking to hospital with an elevated heart rate and numbness in his arm.Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Panic attack? – Beljan speaks with emergency medical services staff during his second round at the Magnolia course on Friday.Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Time out – Beljan, who was fighting to keep his PGA Tour playing rights for next season, told his caddy that he thought he was "going to die" after suffering elevated blood pressure and numbness in his arms.Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Hospital treatment – The 28-year-old was taken to hospital following Friday's round, having shot a remarkable eight-under-par 64 to lead the $4.7 million tournament by three shots. Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story Playing on – The Arizona native confirmed that he would play in Saturday's third round in Florida despite being advised to rest by doctors.Hide Caption 5 of 5 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder Cup Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Peter Hanson, center, and Francesco Molinari of Europe celebrate their team winning the 39th Ryder Cup on Sunday, September 30, in Medinah, Illinois. Europe produced the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history to defeat the United States and retain the trophy. See more of the best of CNN's photography.Hide Caption 1 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Nicolas Colsaerts, left, celebrates with fans after Europe beat the United States on Sunday. The biennial competition pits the best pro golfers from the United States against their European counterparts.Hide Caption 2 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – European team captain Jose Maria Olazabal holds the Ryder Cup at the closing ceremonies on Sunday.Hide Caption 3 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer is mobbed by the European team after he made the winning putt on the 18th green on Sunday to cinch the Ryder Cup.Hide Caption 4 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer of Europe celebrates making the decisive putt.Hide Caption 5 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer sets up the final putt on the 18th green.Hide Caption 6 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Europe celebrates after Martin Kaymer sinks his putt on the 18th green Sunday.Hide Caption 7 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer putts on the final hole Sunday to secure Europe's win.Hide Caption 8 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A U.S. fan high-fives Team Europe's fans after their Ryder Cup victory on Sunday.Hide Caption 9 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Europe greets Tiger Woods on the 18th green after Europe defeated the United States 14.5 to 13.5 to retain the Ryder Cup.Hide Caption 10 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Europe's Sergio Garcia, left, and Ian Poulter celebrate Sunday.Hide Caption 11 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A European supporter watches the play during the singles matches on Sunday.Hide Caption 12 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Justin Rose of Europe celebrates a birdie putt on the 18th green to defeat Phil Mickelson on Sunday.Hide Caption 13 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Jason Dufner of the United States, left, shakes hands with Peter Hanson on the 18th green after Dufner defeated Hanson.Hide Caption 14 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Davis Love III waits with some of his team on Sunday at the end of the singles matches.Hide Caption 15 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe hits a shot from the rough on the 18th hole Sunday.Hide Caption 16 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Europe's Francesco Molinari celebrates with his caddie, Jason Hempleman, on the 18th green Sunday after his match with Tiger Woods.Hide Caption 17 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods waits on a hole during Sunday's singles matches.Hide Caption 18 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Fans reach for a golf ball Sunday on the 17th green.Hide Caption 19 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Steve Stricker of the United States reacts to a missed putt on the 17th green as Martin Kaymer of Europe looks on during Sunday's competition.Hide Caption 20 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Jim Furyk of the United States lines up a putt with his caddie, Mike Cowan, on the 17th green.Hide Caption 21 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Lee Westwood of Europe, left, shakes hands with Matt Kuchar on the 16th green after defeating him Sunday.Hide Caption 22 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Steve Stricker of the United States lines up a putt on the 16th green during a match Sunday against Martin Kaymer of Germany.Hide Caption 23 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the United States plays a bunker shot on the 14th hole on Sunday.Hide Caption 24 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of Europe hits from the drop zone Sunday on the 13th hole.Hide Caption 25 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A message of support for Team Europe is written in the sky during the Sunday's single matches. The United States started the day with a seemingly insurmountable 10-6 lead.Hide Caption 26 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Graeme McDowell of Europe crosses a bridge during the singles matches on Sunday.Hide Caption 27 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A U.S. fan watches the matches on Sunday.Hide Caption 28 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Webb Simpson of the United States hits his tee shot on the 13th hole Sunday.Hide Caption 29 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of Europe celebrates after saving bogey Sunday on the 13th green.Hide Caption 30 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer of Europe plays a bunker shot on the ninth hole Sunday.Hide Caption 31 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Zach Johnson of the United States reacts to a shot on the ninth hole Sunday as Graeme McDowell, right, and his caddie, Ken Comboy, of Europe look on.Hide Caption 32 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A U.S. team caddie wears patriotic shoes on Sunday.Hide Caption 33 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe plays a bunker shot Sunday on the fourth hole.Hide Caption 34 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of Europe watches his tee shot on the third hole Sunday.Hide Caption 35 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Fans watch the play on the first tee during the singles matches of the Ryder Cup on Sunday.Hide Caption 36 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Bubba Watson of the United States, left, greets Luke Donald of Europe on the first tee Sunday in Medinah.Hide Caption 37 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Bubba Watson of the United States watches his tee shot on the first hole Sunday.Hide Caption 38 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A sea of fans crowds around the first tee near the clubhouse Sunday.Hide Caption 39 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of Europe plays a bunker shot on the fifth hole on Sunday.Hide Caption 40 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods of the United States watches from the fairway on the first hole Sunday.Hide Caption 41 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tim Finchem, from left, Jack Nicklaus and Jeff Sluman watch the action on the first tee Sunday.Hide Caption 42 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the United States hits his tee shot on the first hole Sunday.Hide Caption 43 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Europe lines up a shot with his caddie J.P. Fitzgerald on the third tee on Sunday.Hide Caption 44 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team USA Assistant Captain Fred Couples stirs up the crowd during play Sunday.Hide Caption 45 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team Europe's Luke Donald tees off from the first hole Sunday.Hide Caption 46 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe celebrates after making a birdie on the first hole Sunday.Hide Caption 47 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – European fans cheer at the start of the final day of play at the 39th Ryder Cup on Sunday.Hide Caption 48 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley rallies U.S. fans on the first tee at the start of the day Sunday.Hide Caption 49 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder Cup05 ryder cup 0930 – Team USA fans cheer from the stands Sunday.Hide Caption 50 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Former U.S. President George W. Bush shakes hands with Fred Couples, assistant captain of Team USA on Saturday, September 29.Hide Caption 51 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Bush reaches to shake the hands of spectators at the tournament Saturday.Hide Caption 52 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods of the United States scopes out a putt on the 17th hole during four-ball play Saturday.Hide Caption 53 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team Europe's Rory McIlroy laments a missed putt on the seventh hole during foursomes on Saturday.Hide Caption 54 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Dustin Johnson of Team USA contemplates his next play on Saturday.Hide Caption 55 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Webb Simpson of the United States waits in the fifth fairway with his caddie Paul Tesori on Saturday.Hide Caption 56 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team USA's Phil Mickelson, left, and Team Europe's Lee Westwood of England study the fifth green during a morning foursomes match on Saturday.Hide Caption 57 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe lines up a putt on the 16th green on Saturday.Hide Caption 58 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits his tee shot on the first hole Saturday afternoon.Hide Caption 59 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Zach Johnson of American team reacts to a putt on the 12th hole on Saturday.Hide Caption 60 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Webb Simpson of the United States plays a bunker shot on Saturday.Hide Caption 61 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A crowd gathers at the 17th green on day two of the competition.Hide Caption 62 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Sergio Garcia of Europe hits the second shot on the third hole on Saturday.Hide Caption 63 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – European fans watch the play from a golf cart during day two.Hide Caption 64 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the United States stares down a putt on Saturday.Hide Caption 65 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A fan of the U.S. golfers watches the action.Hide Caption 66 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team Europe's Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits out of the eighth hole's tee box on Saturday.Hide Caption 67 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson of the United States drives with his wife Amy Mickelson on the 16th green.Hide Caption 68 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe celebrates after holing a putt on the 12th hole Saturday.Hide Caption 69 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Poulter and Justin Rose of Team Europe embrace after winning their match on Saturday.Hide Caption 70 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Two U.S. fans watch the competition on Saturday.Hide Caption 71 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Webb Simpson of the USA waits in the fifth fairway with his caddie Paul Tesori.Hide Caption 72 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – USA fans cheer on the first tee on Saturday.Hide Caption 73 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Golfer Justin Rose of Europe lines up a putt on the first green.Hide Caption 74 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A fan looks at a map on Saturday.Hide Caption 75 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – American Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the fourth hole as Lee Westwood of Europe looks on.Hide Caption 76 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Graeme McDowell of Europe hits his tee shot on the first hole on Saturday.Hide Caption 77 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Bubba Watson of the USA watches his tee shot on the second hole.Hide Caption 78 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the USA reacts after putting on the fifth green on Saturday.Hide Caption 79 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A message is written in the sky in remembrance of Spanish golf legend Seve Ballesteros, who died of brain cancer last year, during day two of the competition.Hide Caption 80 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the USA hits out of the bunker on the 16th green after defeating Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell on Friday, September 28. Hide Caption 81 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the USA urges a putt to drop on the 15th green during the afternoon four-ball matches.Hide Caption 82 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, right, jumps in the air while speaking with teammate Sergio Garcia of Spain, ssecond left, on the 10th fairway on Friday.Hide Caption 83 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Americans Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson were paired in the afternoon four-ball matches on Friday.Hide Caption 84 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley celebrate on the 17th green with Amy Mickelson and Jillian Stacey after defeating Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell 2 and 1 during the afternoon four-ball matches on Friday.Hide Caption 85 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – McIlroy and McDowell, both of Northern Ireland, wait on the first tee on Friday afternoon.Hide Caption 86 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – McIlroy and McDowell walk across a bridge ahead of the gallery on Friday.Hide Caption 87 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – McIlroy reacts with dismay to his shot from the 10th fairway on Friday.Hide Caption 88 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Fans watch the play on the 17th hole on Friday.Hide Caption 89 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods makes birdie on the 16th hole in Friday's afternoon matches.Hide Caption 90 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Peter Hanson of Europe plays a bunker shot on the second hole during the afternoon four-ball matches on Friday.Hide Caption 91 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods of the USA reacts to a poor tee shot on the 15th hole on Friday.Hide Caption 92 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – European fans watch the actiion in flamboyant outfits on Friday.Hide Caption 93 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley celebrate on the 15th green after defeating Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia during the morning foursome matches on Friday.Hide Caption 94 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Martin Kaymer plays a bunker shot on the third hole during the afternoon four-ball matches on Friday.Hide Caption 95 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – European fans get into the spirit during the afternoon four-ball matches on Friday.Hide Caption 96 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker line up a putt during the morning foursome matches on Friday.Hide Caption 97 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell of Europe get a ruling on their ball on the 18th hole Friday.Hide Caption 98 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team Europe's Graeme McDowell chips onto the second hole's green Friday.Hide Caption 99 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Fans watch during the morning foursome matches Friday at the Medinah Country Club.Hide Caption 100 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley of the United States reacts after putting on the 14th green Friday.Hide Caption 101 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team Europe's Graeme McDowell drives off the 15th tee Friday.Hide Caption 102 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of England, left, and Sergio Garcia of Spain look over their putt on the sixth hole Friday.Hide Caption 103 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Tiger Woods signs his glove for a fan who was struck in the head during his drive off the seveth tee on Friday.Hide Caption 104 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson plays a bunker shot on 10th tenth hole on Friday.Hide Caption 105 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia of Europe line up a putt on the seventh hole on Friday.Hide Caption 106 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Graeme McDowell of Europe watches a shot during the Morning Foursome matches of the Ryder Cup on Friday.Hide Caption 107 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson hits a shot on the fifth hole on Friday.Hide Caption 108 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Keegan Bradley celebrates on the 15th green after he made birdie to defeat the team of Donald and Garcia during the Morning Foursome matches on Friday.Hide Caption 109 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Europe hits a shot onto the green on Friday.Hide Caption 110 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Justin Rose of Europe celebrates on the fourth hole after a long putt at the 39th Ryder Cup Friday at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.Hide Caption 111 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Lee Westwood of Europe watches his tee shot on the first hole Friday.Hide Caption 112 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson of the United States kisses his wife Amy on the first tee Friday.Hide Caption 113 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Basketball legend Michael Jordan waits on the first tee during the matches.Hide Caption 114 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A fan of the European team watches the play.Hide Caption 115 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – USA fans cheer the players on the first tee Friday.Hide Caption 116 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – American golfer Tiger Woods chips on the first hole.Hide Caption 117 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Steve Stricker of the United States hits a shot from the rough on the first hole.Hide Caption 118 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald of Europe hits his tee shot on the first hole.Hide Caption 119 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia of Europe celebrate on the fifth green on Friday. Hide Caption 120 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson of the United States plays a bunker shot during the fourth and final preview day of the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club on Thursday, September 27.Hide Caption 121 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A Team Europe supporter watches the action Thursday.Hide Caption 122 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Dustin Johnson, left, and Tiger Woods of the United States laugh during a practice round Thursday.Hide Caption 123 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Phil Mickelson, left, was paired with Keegan Bradley on Thursday.Hide Caption 124 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Fans wait for autographs during Thursday's practice round.Hide Caption 125 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Rory McIlroy of Europe kicks a PGA ball in between play of the practice round Thursday.Hide Caption 126 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – McIlroy takes a bow Thursday.Hide Caption 127 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Miguel Angel Jimenez of Europe watches the play Thursday.Hide Caption 128 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe stands over a ball in the fairway Thursday.Hide Caption 129 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, center, walks with U.S. teammate and U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson during a practice round Thursday.Hide Caption 130 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – McIlroy talks with vice captain Darren Clarke during the final preview day Thursday.Hide Caption 131 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Zach Johnson, right, and Jason Dufner of the United States pratice putting on the 17th green Thursday.Hide Caption 132 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Zach Johnson signs autographs for fans after finishing the 18th hole on Thursday.Hide Caption 133 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Members of Team Europe practice Thursday.Hide Caption 134 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Matt Kuchar chats with U.S. teammate Webb Simpson on the practice ground on Thursday.Hide Caption 135 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Team U.S.'s Tiger Woods reaches for a golf ball on the practice ground on Thursday.Hide Caption 136 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – U.S. players Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson hit shots on the practice ground Thursday.Hide Caption 137 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – British fans wear their loyalties on their sleeves Wednesday, September 26.Hide Caption 138 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Ian Poulter of Europe practices near his teammates' golf bags Wednesday.Hide Caption 139 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – U.S.'s Jim Furyk plays his approach shot to the 12th green on Wednesday.Hide Caption 140 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – A U.S. fan takes photos Wednesday.Hide Caption 141 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Members of the U.S. team practice Wednesday on the 13th green at Medinah, outside Chicago.Hide Caption 142 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Patriotism is on display across the course Wednesday.Hide Caption 143 of 144 Photos: Photos: Best of Ryder CupBest of Ryder Cup – Jose Maria Olazabal serves as captain of the European team for this year's Cup.Hide Caption 144 of 144Kaymer followed up compatriot Bernhard Langer's victory in the seniors event in Sun City on Saturday."Bernhard has been a massive help for me. We talked at the Ryder Cup on the Saturday in the players' lounge when I didn't play at all, and we talked about the spirit and the attitude of the Ryder Cup, and you can use that for regular tournaments as well," Kaymer said."So he has been a huge influence for me. There was a bit more pressure today because everyone was talking about the German double. But I'm very fortunate that everything worked out for me, and it's obviously very nice from Bernhard that he called me straight away." McDowell, meanwhile, upstaged Tiger Woods by winning the 14-time major champion's Chevron World Challenge event in California.The Northern Irishman, whose last victory came at the same tournament in 2010 after he also won the U.S. Open, finished three shots clear of last year's PGA Championship victor Keegan Bradley to claim the $1.2 million first prize.He was congratulated by compatriot Rory McIlroy, who last weekend ended his season as world No. 1 and leader of both the U.S. and European money lists."Great win @Graeme_McDowell!! They should rename that event the Gmac Challenge! Enjoy the well deserved break!" McIlroy wrote on Twitter.Woods, who ended his own long victory drought as host 12 months ago, finished tied for fourth with fellow Americans Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler.	5sport
(CNN)Golfers wore red shirts and black pants during the WGC-Workday Championship on Sunday in honor of golf legend Tiger Woods, who is hospitalized after a serious car accident last week.Woods responded on Twitter to the gesture made by many in the golf community, including Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas and Cameron Champ, who wore Woods' signature outfit."It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts," Woods wrote Sunday. "To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."Golfers at the Gainbridge LPGA on Sunday, including Annika Sorenstam, also wore red and black in support of Woods.Annika Sorenstam of Sweden plays a shot on the 18th fairway during the final round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club on Sunday in Orlando.PGA Tour Communications tweeted a picture Sunday of maintenance staff at the Puerto Rico Open wearing red and black to honor Woods.Read MoreAnd golfer Bryson DeChambeau tweeted a picture of a golf ball with the name "Tiger" and a red line on it."We're all pulling for you @tigerwoods," DeChambeau wrote. "A mentor, idol and role model to my career, there's no one that could come out of this stronger. We're glad you're here. See you soon."Woods suffered serious leg injuries in a single-vehicle rollover accident last week near Los Angeles, where his SUV crossed a median, went across two lanes of road, then hit a tree and landed on the driver's side in the brush.After initial treatment at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Woods was moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he received follow-up procedures, a tweet posted Friday to Woods' Twitter account said. "The procedures were successful, and he is now recovering and in good spirits."Woods' injuries included open fractures to his tibia and fibula that required a rod to be inserted, and additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle that were stabilized with screws and pins.CNN's Jacob Lev, Stella Chan, Cheri Mossburg and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.	5sport
Story highlightsAnalyst: Mexico "quite flippantly" said it would extradite "El Chapo" Guzman in 300-400 yearsEx-AG Alberto Gonzales: Extraditions involve tricky, opaque, oft-controversial negotiationsSovereignty, pride and fear cited as possible reasons Mexico chose to keep Guzman there (CNN)Hearing "I told you so" always stings, perhaps never more than when one of the world's most-wanted men slips out of a maximum-security prison through a mile-long tunnel that took months in the making. Former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Phil Jordan told everyone so. When Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, aka "El Chapo," was arrested in February 2014 -- after 13 years on the lam following another prison escape -- the ex-head of the DEA's El Paso Intelligence Center told CNN that the arrest was a big deal, but only if Mexico shipped the kingpin to its neighbor to the north.JUST WATCHEDWhy was 'El Chapo' Guzman was held in Mexico?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhy was 'El Chapo' Guzman was held in Mexico? 03:22"It is a significant arrest, provided he gets extradited immediately to the United States," Jordan said. "If he does not get extradited, then he will be allowed to escape within a period of time. ... If he is, in fact, incarcerated, until he gets extradited to the United States, it will be business as usual."Suffice to say, Jordan, who spent more than 30 years with the DEA, was not shocked by this week's news that Guzman had escaped.Read More"No, I'm surprised it took a year for him to escape," he said, interrupting his thought to correct himself. "Before he was allowed to escape."Opinion: No light at end of tunnelLike many observers, Jordan says he believes Guzman had help in his jailbreak, and not just from those who dug the tunnel, ventilated it and laid tracks for a modified motorcycle. No, Jordan thinks Guzman had help on the inside, much like he did during his 2001 escape in which dozens of prison workers, including the warden, were prosecuted. JUST WATCHEDMexico's most dangerous drug cartelsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMexico's most dangerous drug cartels 01:29In fact, Jordan suspects Guzman's entire arrest was a sham, "a little show and tell" to project the impression that Mexico was making strides in its fight against the cartels. Why else would a man who traveled at times with an 800-member security detail be caught with his family and a single bodyguard in the resort town of Mazatlán? The story of Guzman's 2014 capture was "absolute BS," he said. "They don't capture Guzman unless they've made a deal with Guzman not to extradite him to the United States."And the extradition? "It was never going to happen," Jordan said. A matter of sovereignty or pride?There is no shortage of hypotheses about why Guzman wasn't extradited to the United States. Some analysts say Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto wanted to, contrary to his predecessor, limit U.S. involvement in Mexico's drug war and felt having the United States try and imprison Mexico's top criminal would be a blow to the country's ego and sovereignty."It was, I believe, a source of national pride to say that, 'We've got this. This is our situation and we can handle it,' " said Sylvia Longmire, author of "Cartel: The Coming Invasion of Mexico's Drug Wars."Ex-President Felipe Calderón had been viewed as weak because he relied so heavily on U.S. assistance, and Longmire said she believes Peña Nieto "wanted to take control of the drug war back."JUST WATCHEDManhunt intensifying for dangerous drug lordReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHManhunt intensifying for dangerous drug lord 03:06A sounder hunch is that former Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam scuttled any potential deal. While there's no shortage of conspiracy theorists alleging Mexican officials feared El Chapo might dish dirt on the country's politicians, Murillo Karam publicly said he disapproved of the United States cutting deals with criminals -- as it did in 2013 with Jesús Vicente "El Vicentillo" Zambada Niebla, the son of Guzman's top lieutenant -- and not sharing with Mexico the fruits of the kingpins' cooperation. Officially, Murillo Karam said Guzman would not be extradited until he finished serving his time in Mexico, a sentiment echoed by Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora. When Guzman escaped in 2001, he had served only seven of a more than 20-year sentence, and he racked up eight more charges before being recaptured last year. From power tools to helicopters: Five famous prison escapes The specter of a SupermaxThe United States, where at least eight federal districts have rendered indictments against Guzman, submitted its formal request for Guzman's extradition in January or February, said CNN legal analyst Philip Holloway. Before Murillo Karam even received the paperwork, he "quite flippantly" said the United States could have Guzman in 300 or 400 years, when he finished serving his time in Mexico, Holloway said. Mexican officials were "assuming he would serve out his prison time," the CNN analyst said. "We know better than that. We wanted to get him here so we could get him into a Supermax, where he'd spend 23 hours a day in a cell and not really be able to get out."JUST WATCHEDDEA: 'El Chapo' cartel responsible for 25% of drugs in U.S.ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDEA: 'El Chapo' cartel responsible for 25% of drugs in U.S. 02:06Like Jordan, Holloway believes that Guzman's reach extends into "all facets of the Mexican government and the entire Mexican criminal justice system," he said. While Guzman also wields influence in the United States, he's not nearly as persuasive north of the border. "We know that he has his tentacles into the U.S., but probably not to the degree that you could tunnel beneath the Supermax in Colorado," Holloway said.U.S. officials angry over jailbreakGuzman was well aware of U.S. hopes to bring him before an American judge and jury, said Jordan, who is of the mind that Guzman's capture was orchestrated and the decision not to extradite him was made before he set foot in his cell. "Tell me how many times John Gotti escaped or Al Capone escaped," he said. "(Guzman) knows that if he's sent to the U.S., the luxury hotel he built for himself in the Mexican prison is not going to happen."Could treaty be ignored?Article 15 of the U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty, signed in 1978, backs up Murillo Karam's claim that Guzman had to serve his time in Mexico before facing charges in the United States. That provision of the treaty states the U.S. or Mexico "may defer the surrender of the person sought" when the suspect is being tried or is already serving a sentence "until the conclusion of the proceeding or the full execution of the punishment that has been imposed."But ex-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the treaty is more flexible than it may appear. Extradition requests are highly technical documents involving tricky, opaque and oft-controversial negotiations, he said, and it's possible Mexico would be willing to overlook the treaty in exchange for something -- not necessarily quid pro quo, but perhaps some useful intelligence or assets that it could employ in the drug war. "Mexico could waive that if it was in their interest to do so," said Gonzales, now the dean of Belmont University College of Law.JUST WATCHED2014: U.S. seeks to extradite Mexican drug lordReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2014: U.S. seeks to extradite Mexican drug lord 03:23Gonzales emphasized that he had no inside knowledge of the machinations surrounding Guzman, but the Office of General Prosecutor, Mexico's equivalent of the U.S. Justice Department, "has to deal with its own bureaucracy when it comes to extradition requests. ... The people that make decisions in Mexico, I'm sure they had to consult with a number of people."In 2007, when Gonzales headed President George W. Bush's Justice Department, Mexico agreed to extradite 15 suspected criminals, including Gulf cartel boss Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, in a move that was hailed as a great success in the U.S.-Mexico drug war partnership. It was the product of extended talks, the ex-attorney general said. Guillen vs. Los Zetas"That took time. It took a lot of secret negotiations and discussions," Gonzales said, explaining he notified neither DEA Administrator Karen Tandy nor Ambassador Antonio Garza that the talks were unfolding. "You want to keep the number very small in terms of who knows about possible extraditions." 'Anything's possible'Gonzales suspects there were similar high-level discussions regarding Guzman, he said. Mexico is rightly defensive of its sovereignty, and there are several possible scenarios that might have played out, Gonzales said. Because Mexico has long bristled at paternalistic U.S. inclinations to wag its finger over corruption, it could have decided it didn't need the "interference of another country," or it could have played the pot-calling-the-kettle-black card, raising the issue of escaped convicts Richard Matt and David Sweat and asking, "What about what happened in New York a month or so ago?"JUST WATCHEDFilmmaker: It's clear to me where 'El Chapo' isReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFilmmaker: It's clear to me where 'El Chapo' is 04:49Drug lord projects Robin Hood imageOr Mexico could have, as Murillo Karam said, honestly wanted Guzman to serve his time in Mexico first, Gonzales said. It's tough to say for certain, but you can be sure that there was behind-the-scenes bartering over El Chapo's fate following his 2014 arrest, he said. What's less clear is what happens now. Speculation abounds over Guzman's whereabouts. Did he leave the country? Has he sought refuge in the unsavory mountainous terrain of Sinaloa state, where he was raised and from where he thwarted many attempts to apprehend him? If he's captured again, would an embarrassed Mexico finally agree the Americans are better equipped to keep Guzman incarcerated?"Anything's possible," said Holloway, the legal analyst.Yet there is one more possibility that looms large, he said. "I really don't think we're ever going to see him again."Tunnel vision: A look inside El Chapo's underground hideaways	3news
Story highlightsOnly one American has won the MotoGP world title since 2000 Sport was dominated by US riders between 1978 and 1993CNN Sport speaks to ex-champs Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr. (CNN)MotoGP returns to its Spanish heartland in May, as Jerez prepares to host the fourth race of a tightly contested championship. With Spanish riders occupying 10 of the 23 spaces on starting grid, it will be a homecoming for almost half of the premier-class riders. Follow @cnnsport It will also be a stark contrast to the previous race in Austin, Texas, where not a single American racer could be found in any of the three classes.At the stunning Circuit of the Americas, curled around an undulating stretch of scrubland on the city's outskirts, there were reminders of America's golden age, with four of its most successful racers present at the track.With US stalwarts Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts and his son Kenny Roberts Jr. standing by, CNN Sport asked the question: Just what's happened to all the great Americans in MotoGP?Read MoreIt's the moneyKenny Roberts Jr., who was celebrating his induction into the MotoGP Hall of Fame, acknowledges that having a world-champion father gave him a distinct advantage.Joining his father in the Hall of Fame... yesterday, Kenny Roberts Jnr became an official #MotoGP Legend!👏#AmericasGP pic.twitter.com/51qN15X3NH— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 22, 2017 "I raced and practiced with world champions at a very young level, so it gave me an understanding of where I eventually needed to be," he told CNN. "I knew everything it took instead of wondering what it took, if that makes sense."The 43-year-old believes entering the sport now is tougher than ever. Part of the reason, he says, is financial. "I think it's much harder to get into now. The bikes are very close and the first top of the class in Moto3 are getting paid, but the last half -- even three quarters -- aren't making money. "They're bringing money to a team ... and when you start doing that it's very difficult I think."Behind the curveKevin Schwantz, the 1993 world champion who helped design the Austin circuit, believes Americans are at an immediate disadvantage compared with their European rivals. #BritishGP '94:▶️ Schwantz last victory▶️ First to use 16,5-inch @Michelin_Sport tyres🎥 https://t.co/fHtVMyl3K1 pic.twitter.com/KzF5ayu1yn— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) September 1, 2016 "It's very difficult for American kids to get into the world championship loop," he told CNN. "I mean, Italy, Germany, Spain, everybody's got their pre-Moto3 championships, young kids can get there and start riding when they're 13 or 14."He points to one emerging American star who could break through, although he has had to travel to Europe to do it."We've got this kid, Damian Jigalov, in Italy racing and he's 12 years old, riding at 300 km/h, and he's better than anyone else on the track," added Schwantz. 500ccm: Kevin Schwantz, Assen 1993@KevinSchwantz @SuzukiOfficial @ttcircuitassen @MotoGP #DutchGP#TTAssen pic.twitter.com/8SQNHuxVmb— Racing News (@RacingNews56) June 22, 2015 "He's going to Europe, and doing races, and opening people's eyes a little bit."However, most American riders, Schwantz says, are behind the curve before they even start. "I think our problem here is that most of us don't think our kids can do anything until they're 16, when they can come race in MotoAmerica and be a professional," he explained. "If you're not on tracks where Grands Prix are being raced by the time you're 16 you're well behind the Europeans, because they've been there for a couple of years by the time they're that age and it's just such an easy transition."Developing talentCarmelo Ezpeleta, head of MotoGP administrator Dorna, believes the absence of a feeder championship in the US is a key reason American talent is no longer breaking through. "One big factor is the disappearance of the AMA Superbike series, because national competition has a great effect on creating champions in every country," he told CNN. The @KTMUSA top three from today's RC Cup @RoadAtlanta. Benjamin Smith, Draik Beauchamp and Alex Dumas. pic.twitter.com/6q9hsY6Px3— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica1) April 29, 2017 "Now there is MotoAmerica, and it's been a long time since there was a championship of that caliber to showcase and develop talent within the US."Not that he doesn't believe things will improve. "Now we hope the situation will begin to change and we will again see American talent emerging onto the global stage," said Ezpeleta. "It is certainly something that must be addressed because a lack of a national championship means a lack of new riders. I am sure there will be great American champions in the future again, just as there were in the past."Ezpeleta would also like to see a new junior series in the US. "An American Talent Cup could be the future for talent discovery and promotion in North America," he said. "Something similar to the Asia Talent Cup or the soon-to-start British Talent Cup. One of the key things upon which the future of the sport depends is the talent and the riders, because they create so much of the show -- one of the greatest on Earth."#GiveMe5 📸📸📸📸📸The traditional #AmericasGP podium #selfie! pic.twitter.com/F8LOnTsXPf— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 23, 2017 A 15-year projectRoberts Jr. acknowledges Dorna's efforts, but believes the US may have a long wait before its riders repopulate the MotoGP grid. "To get Americans back into it, it's got to be an entire team effort," he told CNN. "It's like the Olympics -- you don't want just Spaniards and Italians and so on, it has to be an entire mix. "I know Dorna is making a big push to make sure young talent is coming through the field in other countries, and that's what they have to do here. That's a 15-year building block, in my opinion."Following Kevin Schwantz at #COTA, blow turn, Kenny Roberts Jr. zings by! Not too often two world champs pass you in a lap. @suzukicycles pic.twitter.com/jetGIIwGTi— Mark Hoyer (@CW1Hoyer) April 24, 2017 A team of 50Another issue for racing is the gulf in funding between MotoGP and other championships. Dug up this photo from @RoadAtlanta in '86 with me on the Honda and Schwantz on the Suzuki. #motoamerica is headed to Atlanta, April 28-30. pic.twitter.com/NH0pQep1oo— Wayne Rainey (@WayneRainey60) April 13, 2017 "My dad and mom went to have a tour of the KTM garage with Tim Kopra, the astronaut, and he said: 'I can't believe it, a two-rider team has close to 50 people!'" Schwantz told CNN. "We were talking to Howard Plumpton, who was the coordinator for Team Suzuki when I raced there, and he said, 'at our biggest, we were nine.' I mean, just the airfare getting people wherever you've got to get them, has quadrupled the budget."By contrast, Schwantz says, MotoAmerica struggles for cash. "What else that's lacking here in America is the support from the manufacturers," the former Suzuki rider told CNN."There's no real sponsors -- outside sponsors -- involved in MotoAmerica, so no real manufacturer support, and for sure without the sales of motorcycles and sports bikes where they used to be, you're not going to get a Suzuki spending $10 million racing."READ: Marc Marquez's moment of destinyAmerica still loves bikesSchwantz also points to a decline in interest in sports bikes on the streets of US, telling CNN it's become more about the "vintage scene."Induction upcoming for Kenny Roberts Jr. Into the @MotoGP Legends. And he brought the family. pic.twitter.com/xgs400xRYm— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica1) April 21, 2017 "The guys at Revival here in Austin have hit the nail on the head, taking an old, beat-up bike that looks to be something you wouldn't even wanna ride, and turning it into a daily commuter bike," said Schwantz.As he puts it, that couldn't be further from splashing out "$20,000 to go buy a sport bike that you can barely use second gear on in most cities."Again, Schwantz points to the contrast with Europe, telling CNN: "They buy scooters, they ride them in the winter, ride them in the summer -- it is their means of transportation. "Parking is a whole lot easier with a motorcycle," he added. "How much easier would it be here if we could get motorcycles to be commonplace as a means of transportation?"On race day, the Austin circuit was packed, indicating that MotoGP's appeal in the US remains strong. Better accessBut Schwantz believes the spectator experience could be improved, telling CNN he would "try and make things more accessible to the average person that comes, not just the person that has the paddock pass."Schwantz understands the pressure on riders like Valentino Rossi to spend time with fans, but recalls his first interactions with spectators as a young racer, when veteran competitor John Ulrich told him he'd quickly get tired of signing autographs.The older rider told Schwantz: "what you're really gonna hate is when they don't want them anymore, so sign as many as you can." Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 1 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 3 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 4 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 5 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 6 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 7 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 8 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 9 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 10 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 11 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 12 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 13 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 14 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 15 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 16 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 17 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 18 of 19 Photos: The making of a motorcycling championHide Caption 19 of 19Life after RossiAway from the dearth of Americans, there's no doubt championship leader Valentino Rossi's appeal remains a huge part of MotoGP's popularity, and the prospect of life after the charismatic Italian is another big question for the sport. In Austin, crowds of fans waited patiently for a glimpse of the seven-time world champion, whose popularity way exceeds anyone else on the grid.Cota international circuit,Austin Arrivo della gara 👏🏼🏆🍾@MotoGP pic.twitter.com/w5AeVzguld— Valentino Rossi (@ValeYellow46) April 27, 2017 But Schwantz is optimistic about the future, telling CNN: "I think as long as the racing continues to be as good as it is in all three classes, there will be that next kid who stands out in Moto3 and turns into the next Valentino."I don't think there's anyone right now -- I think (the late) Marco Simoncelli was that guy. "Maybe there will be a drop in attendance initially, but when everybody realizes the racing is still as good as it's ever been, and that all it takes is a little bit of mist, a little bit of rain, and anybody in the field could win ... I think MotoGP is in a good place right now."Roberts Jr. jokes Rossi "has to ask" him permission to retire."I have to give it my blessing," smiled the 2000 championship winner. "Maybe that's what he's been waiting for, maybe he's been waiting for me to tell him he can stop. I hope he doesn't. "He was talking about going until he's forty, so a couple more years of him would be great."	5sport
Story highlightsFather Junipero Serra was a Spanish missionary who built missions in CaliforniaPope Francis declares Serra a saint as part of Vatican's "New Evangelization" campaignMany Indians, Latinos condemn Serra as an architect of "genocide"Los Angeles (CNN)Andrew Galvan knows the wound that lingers almost 250 years later, the one that bears upon the genesis of the great American West.The British colonized the East, but here in California, the Spaniards arrived with their armies and Catholic missionaries to take the West.It was Galvan's great-great-great-great-grandparents who in 1794 were among the first Indians to be baptized in one of the state's iconic missions whose architect was the pioneering and controversial priest Junipero Serra.Many Americans may not know Serra's name, but here in California, the Spanish missionary is as storied as the majestic coastline itself. Serra initiated the building of the missions that line California and remain a top tourist attraction. Every fourth-grader here must learn the history of the 21 Spanish missions, built between 1769 and 1823, some of them now National Historic Landmarks. Serra built the first nine.Read MoreThe Vatican reveres Serra, too. In fact, Serra is deemed such a great evangelist for the Catholic Church that Pope Francis officially declared him a saint this week during his visit to the United States. Photos: Photos: Few images exist of 18th-century Spanish missionary Junipero Serra, a founding figure of the American West. This portrait has become one of the standard representations of him and was done in the early 1900s by a Mexican priest, Father Jose Mosqueda, who said he copied it from a work that could have been an original portrait of Serra from the 1750s.Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: This is Serra's personal "novena" prayer book, which is kept in the archives of Old Mission Santa Barbara. The first page is in Spanish.Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Here's another image of Junipero Serra from a first-edition book about the Spanish Franciscan friar entitled, "Relacion Historica de la Vida y Apostolica Tareas del Venerable Padre Fray Junipero Serra," by Father Francisco Palou. His book was first published in Mexico in 1787.Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: This is how Father Serra signed his name on a letter about the value of prayer to another Franciscan friar, Fermin Francisco de Lasuen.Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Serra often corresponded about the California missions as he evangelized Native Americans in the late 1700s. This letter is written by Serra's own hand and is kept in a climated-controlled vault at Old Mission Santa Barbara.Hide Caption 5 of 5For many Native Americans, Latinos and others, Serra was no saint, and his canonization makes an old wound bleed again. But to those who champion the missionaries' daring foray into the dominion of American Indians, the sainthood heralds an apotheosis for the padre who brought the word of Christ here."I wouldn't say the announcement of the Holy Father to canonize Junipero Serra has opened old wounds. It has provided an opportunity to remind many people, including Indians, that there are wounds that require healing," said Galvan, 60, of East Bay, California. "These wounds have been there. The opportunity of canonization is an opportunity to heal these wounds."That may or may not be.Historic firsts on many levelsFrancis, the first Latin American pope, advanced the sainthood for Serra because he was "one of the founding fathers of the United States" and a "special patron of the Hispanic people of the country," the Vatican says.That makes Serra's canonization a landmark moment for many Latinos, a people born of the cataclysm when the Old and New Worlds met centuries ago. After all, the first nonindigenous language spoken in America wasn't English, but Spanish. Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityCould the next president of the United States be of Hispanic heritage? Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, left, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, both of Cuban descent, each hope to win the GOP nomination for the presidency. Click through the gallery to see other news, politics, art, culture and entertainment stories that spoke to the Hispanic community during the last year.Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump fields a question about immigration from Univision and Fusion anchor Jorge Ramos on August 25 in Dubuque, Iowa, a few minutes after Trump had Ramos removed from the room. The respected anchor had failed to yield when Trump wanted to take a question from a different reporter. Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityIn August, Puerto Rico went into default for the first time in its history after paying $628,000 toward a $58 million debt bill. Hide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityA man in Cuba reads the state newspaper "Granma," but he may soon have access to more news and entertainment from the United States. After 54 years, the United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations in 2015. In August, Secretary of State John Kerry officially reopened the U.S. Embassy in the Caribbean island nation.Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityRep. Steve King, R-Iowa, puzzled many in July when he tweeted that he is "as Hispanic and Latino" as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who is a third-generation Mexican-American. King is of German, Irish and Welsh descent.Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityActors Roselyn Sanchez and Cristian de la Fuente pulled out of participating in Donald Trump's Miss USA pageant after the businessman and presidential candidate characterized Mexican immigrants to the United States as people "bringing drugs; they're bringing crime; they're rapists."Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communitySinger Joan Sebastian, shown here at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2012, died in July at age 64. Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityTelevision host Kelly Osbourne thought she was defending Latino immigrants to the United States against Donald Trump in August on ABC's "The View," but she ended up causing a controversy of her own when she asked the rhetorical question, "If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who's going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?"Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityThe Library of Congress announced June 10 the appointment of Juan Felipe Herrera as the 21st U.S. poet laureate. He will have the role for 2015 through 2016, beginning in September. Herrera, 66, whose migrant farm worker parents emigrated from Mexico, will be the nation's first Latino poet laureate since the position was created in 1936. Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityPope Francis will canonize 18th-century Spanish friar Junipero Serra in September when he visits the U.S. Serra is credited with founding several missions in California that were created to spread the Christian gospel to the native peoples of that part of North America. Some Native Americans oppose Serra's canonization; they say his work contributed to the oppression of their ancestors.Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityActor Lin-Manuel Miranda, center, and cast members from the musical "Hamilton," landed on Broadway to raves from audiences and critics alike. The show about founding father Alexander Hamilton (written by Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent) was praised for its innovative music and diverse casting. The show's fans include President Barack Obama, who saw it in July.Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityPresidential hopefuls paid unprecedented attention to the nation's Hispanic population in 2015. Both Democrats and Republicans were outspoken about how to tackle immigration from Mexico and Central America. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, seen here, was among three Democratic hopefuls who spoke at the annual meeting of the National Conference of La Raza, a Latino civil rights group, in July.Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityHispanic residents walk by a bilingual sign for a CVS pharmacy in Union City, New Jersey. A July report by the Spain-based nonprofit Instituto Cervantes indicates that the United States is the world's second-largest Spanish-speaking country. Only Mexico has more Spanish speakers.Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityWhen the first issue of the relaunched "Spider-Man" series hits comic book stores this fall, the face behind the mask will be half-Latino, half-African-American character Miles Morales. Morales had been the famed webslinger in the "Ultimate" offshoot of the popular series, but will now replace the iconic Peter Parker in a main "Spider-Man" series.Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community"Viva Frida," written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, was an honor book, or runner-up, for the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book for children. Morales's book also won a Pura Belpre Award, which is designated for a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience. Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityThe most diverse place in America? Probably not where you think. It's actually Mountain View, Alaska, which boasts the most diverse census tract (with a significant percentage of Latinos) in the entire United States.Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityIn March, fans of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla Perez, who used just her first name as her performing moniker, marked 20 years since her death at the hands of Yolanda Saldivar, who was the president of the singer's fan club.Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityWhile presenting "Birdman" director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu with his prize for best picture at the Oscars, actor Sean Penn quipped, "Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?" His comment was considered insensitive -- and a public airing of a stereotype -- by many due to the contentious U.S. immigration debate.Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityGina Rodriguez, star of the CW show "Jane the Virgin," won a Golden Globe in January for best actress in a comedy series, a win that was considered something of an upset. Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityIn January, the Walt Disney Co. announced that its newest princess will be Elena of Avalor, a teen inspired by "diverse Latin cultures and folklore." The new princess is expected to debut on the Disney Junior animated show "Sofia the First" in 2016.Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityUruguayan journalist and writer Eduardo Galeano, who had a fanbase that spanned continents and who was considered one of the top voices of the Latin American left, died April 13 at age 74 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityEmmy-winning actress Sonia Manzano, who has played shopkeeper Maria Rodriguez on the childrens television show "Sesame Street" since 1971, announced in July that she is retiring. Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityThe Central Intelligence Agency said in June that it is falling behind in recruiting, retaining and promoting racial and ethnic minorities. CIA Director John Brennan said the agency has had particular trouble attracting Hispanics. Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityThe first national report on Hispanic health had good news and bad news. The good news is that Hispanics generally fare well, healthwise -- better than non-Hispanic whites in some cases. The bad news is that Hispanics are still 50% more likely to die from diabetes and liver disease than non-Hispanics.Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityTelenovela actress Lorena Rojas, 44, died in February after suffering with cancer.Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: 26 stories that shaped the Latino-American communityActress Elizabeth Peña died Oct. 14, 2014, at age 55 of cirrhosis of the liver. Peña was best known for her work on the television show "Modern Family" as well as her work in such films as "La Bamba" and "Rush Hour."Hide Caption 26 of 26Serra became the first saint canonized on U.S. soil with Francis' declaration in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.The setting made a not-so-subtle political point at a time when Congress and presidential candidates remain ferociously deadlocked about addressing an immigration flow so massive that Latinos are now the largest U.S. minority, about a sixth of them without documentation."This is the big story: The first Hispanic Pope is coming to America to give us our first Hispanic saint. This is not a coincidence," Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles told the nation's religion writers at an August conference."But this canonization is more than an ethnic event or a religious event. The Pope is calling all of us in America to reflect on our history and our nation's Hispanic and Catholic heritage and our legacy as a nation of immigrants," Gomez said. "For me, this is probably the most important dimension of the Pope's visit."Francis also is the son of immigrants.But Serra left behind a dark legacy that inevitably occurs when colonizers from the other side of the planet impose their will and religion upon an indigenous people.Contagion and suffering decimated the native population several times over, and now the descendants of those original tribes struggle with, if not outright protest, sainthood for the missionary-in-chief of California. Their own Catholicism deepens the conflict.A period of brutalityFor many, the wound is better healed by relegating Serra to the abyss of history. To them, the Franciscan friar from the island of Majorca represented yet another front in Europe's imperial conquest of the native peoples and lands of America. Photos: American saints and blesseds Photos: American saints and blessedsPope Francis canonized St. Junipero Serra during his visit to the U.S. Serra is credited with founding several missions in California that were created to spread the Christian gospel to the native peoples of that part of North America. Some Native Americans oppose Serra's canonization; they say his work contributed to the oppression of their ancestors.Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsSt. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), known as Mother Cabrini, was the first American citizen to be canonized. The Italian-born nun founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and was canonized in 1946. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsSt. Marianne Cope was born Barbara Koob in 1838 in West Germany, but her family moved to the United States when she was an infant. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis in her early 20s and received the name "Sister Marianne." She is best known for her work with people afflicted with leprosy in Hawaii. She died in Hawaii in 1918.Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsBlessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich was born in 1901 in New Jersey. She joined the Sisters of Charity in 1925. She is best known for her spiritual writings, which were published after her 1927 death under the title "Greater Perfection." Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsThis is an undated photograph of St. Katharine Drexel. She was born in Philadelphia in 1858 and died in 1955. The heiress-turned-nun and founder of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament is best known for devoting her life and fortune to starting schools in 13 states for blacks, missions for Native Americans in 16 states and 40 other mission centers and 23 rural schools. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 2000.Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsSt. Rose-Philippine Duchesne was born in 1769 in France. She became a nun when she was 18, but her contemplative community was dispersed after the French Revolution. When she was 35, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she was 49, she sailed for what was then known as the New World, where she established her order's first house outside France and founded several schools. She died in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1852.Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsAfter a mass to celebrate the canonization of St. Mother Theodore Guerin, visitors look at the portrait of the French-born 19th-century nun at the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 2006. She is best known for founding schools in Illinois and throughout Indiana. She is the patron saint of Indianapolis. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsThis is a statue of St. Isaac Jogues, thought to be the first Catholic priest to go to Manhattan, at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral. He is best known for his work as a missionary to the Huron and Algonquian nations in the area colonized by France in what is now the United States and Canada. Jogues, who died in 1646 after he was hit with a Mohawk tomahawk, is the patron saint of the Americas and Canada. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsBlessed Francis Xavier Seelos was a German-born Redemptorist priest who pastored and preached in Catholic parishes and missions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey and other states from 1844 until his death of yellow fever in 1867.Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsSt. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) was canonized as the first American-born saint in 1975. Seton converted to Catholicism after her husband's death. She founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first order of religious women in America, as well as several schools.Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsSt. John Neumann was the first Redemptorist priest to profess his vows in the United States. The German-born priest became a U.S. citizen in 1848, at age 36. He is best known for establishing the first unified system of Catholic schools in Philadelphia. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsThis is a wooden statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17th-century Mohawk woman who was canonized in 2012. She is best known for teaching prayers to children and working with the elderly and sick. St. Kateri died in 1680, just before her 24th birthday. She is the Roman Catholic Church's first Native American saint.Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: American saints and blessedsThis is a statue of St. Damien de Veuster of Moloka'i, who was best known for his work with people suffering with leprosy in the Hawaiian islands. The Belgian-born priest ended up in Hawaii as a replacement for his brother, also a priest, who had been assigned to a mission in Hawaii but subsequently became too ill to travel. Upon arriving, the young priest offered to stay in the leper colony at Moloka'i permanently to help by building schools, hospitals, churches and coffins, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website. He worked closely with St. Marianne Cope. St. Damien ultimately contracted leprosy and died in 1889 at age 49. He is Hawaii's patron saint.Hide Caption 13 of 13"We're stunned and we're in disbelief," said Valentin Lopez, 63, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band located along Monterey Bay. "We believe saints are supposed to be people who followed in the life of Jesus Christ and the words of Jesus Christ. There was no Jesus Christ lifestyle at the missions," Lopez said, who has campaigned against sainthood for Serra."The mission period was brutal on our people," he said. "There can be no doubt that Junipero Serra is personally responsible for destroying our culture."It's not easy speaking against the church and the popular Pope because Lopez is Catholic, as are many in his 600-member tribe, he said. In fact, he was an altar boy for nine years in grade school."We were raised not to say anything bad about the Catholic religion, but at the same time, we can't stay quiet about this. It's like the altar boy scandal. All the people who stayed quiet about the altar boy scandal, how do they feel now?" Lopez said."It seems like the church is doing all it can to separate Serra from the atrocities and deaths and what happened to the Indians, but that does not work," he said.The life of Serra remains as controversial as any of the so-called conquistadores of Spain who ravaged their way through much of the Americas with crosses and swords -- in pursuit of gold and silver while contending they were servants of Christ and crown.A history of disease and forced laborIndeed, interpretations of Serra's legacy vary as much as the people telling it.Consider what the official California school curriculum states bluntly:"The historical record of this era remains incomplete due to the relative absence of native testimony, but it is clear that while missionaries brought agriculture, the Spanish language and culture, and Christianity to the native population, American Indians suffered in many California missions. "The death rate was extremely high. Contributing factors included the hardships of forced labor and, primarily, the introduction of diseases for which the native population did not have immunity. Moreover, the imposition of forced labor and highly structured living arrangements degraded individuals, constrained families, circumscribed native culture, and negatively impacted scores of communities."Great evangelist of frontier WestSurely, Francis -- a native of Argentina and the first Jesuit pontiff -- knows the contentious legacy of the Spanish colonizers.So why did Francis grant Serra sainthood -- and even overlooked the requirement of a second miracle by Serra that's typically needed for sainthood? Under an extraordinary form of canonization, the pope bypassed that requirement because a strong devotion among the faithful has long venerated Serra as saintly. Serra's first miracle was healing a nun of lupus.JUST WATCHEDThe man who became Pope FrancisReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe man who became Pope Francis 02:39"The Pope is very concerned about the idea of evangelization," said Fr. Ken Laverone, a church canon lawyer and a Franciscan in Sacramento who as vice postulator is two degrees removed from the Vatican in Serra's canonization process. Laverone's seventh-great-grandfather was among the settlers who followed the missions, at San Jose, in 1774."He saw Serra as a prime example of evangelization in the western United States, in California, primarily," Laverone said.Indeed, Francis lays out a bold new vision for Catholicism, plagued by what he called a "tomb psychology," and makes "New Evangelization" a centerpiece of his papacy.The Pope touched upon his pastoral standards in 2013: "I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security." Though Francis wasn't specifically referring to Serra, the intrepid Spaniard does fit such a vision. Serra left behind a cushy academic job as a university professor in Spain and became a missionary in modern Mexico, with a vision to convert Indians on the entire North American coast to Alaska. Serra died in 1784 at one of the California missions, in present-day Carmel.Laverone asserted it's unfair to judge Serra in a 21st century context, but the canon lawyer "wouldn't be surprised" if the Pope makes "a formal apology and a plea of forgiveness from the native people" this week, as Francis did in Bolivia this summer when he apologized for the "many grave sins" against South America's indigenous people during Spanish colonization there.Serra led 'the genocide'But activists with the Mexica Movement such as Olin Tezcatlipoca call Serra the leader of an atrocity. The movement is an indigenous right education organization for people of Mexican, Central American and Native American descent that advocates "total liberation from Europeans.""He planned the genocide," said Tezcatlipoca, 55, a retired film editor in San Bernardino who legally changed his name to an indigenous one because he wanted "to do an ethnic correction with a name that reflects my true heritage.""The Pope is doing a continuation of genocide," Tezcatlipoca added.JUST WATCHEDAmbassador to Holy See: Pope "says what he feels"ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAmbassador to Holy See: Pope "says what he feels" 02:46Psychiatrist Donna Schindler of Auburn, California, has worked with American Indians and indigenous people as far away as New Zealand for most of her 31-year practice. She described the record of atrocity and abuse, retold by Indian families today, as "historical trauma" or "intergenerational trauma." "It is the most painful things imaginable to hear these stories," said Schindler, who also works with Lopez' tribe. "The descendants have been suffering the soul wound for 200 years."Among the ugly legacies for Indians is how their ancestors are buried in unmarked graves in mission cemeteries -- and yet they are still charged an admission fee of up $9 to enter a mission museum."This is so over the top," Schindler said of Serra's sainthood. "You've hurt these people already, and now we're going to reinjure them for no particular reason."Why is this so important? What do they think they're going to accomplish by doing this?" said Schindler, a Catholic who stopped attending Mass this year after plans for Serra's sainthood became official.Historian's view: What really happened?Serra's fortunes rose after the Spanish crown expelled Jesuits from the empire, and the Franciscans took over former Jesuit missions in Mexico, where Serra had been based since 1750, said history professor Robert Senkewicz of Santa Clara University, who with historian Rose Marie Beebe wrote a recent book on Serra.From 1769 until his death 15 years later, Serra worked in modern California as part of the Spanish empire's expansion from Mexico City. Serra founded nine missions from San Diego to San Francisco from age 55 until his death at 70."The job of the mission was to basically assimilate the native peoples, to make them more Spanish. And part of making them more Spanish was basically making them Catholics," Senkewicz said.JUST WATCHEDWhere politics and the Pope collideReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhere politics and the Pope collide 03:26"It wasn't that that the native peoples were dragged into the missions by force, but they kind of had little choice in some senses because there at least was some kind of food there," Senkewicz said.Once in the missions, the Indians were baptized and couldn't leave without permission.If they didn't return on time, the priest would dispatch soldiers and other mission Indians, "and they would forcibly bring people back to the mission," Senkewicz said. "It's an odd sort of thing which is very difficult to understand now because people were invited into the mission."When they were returned, the punishment was flogging, and the flogging was very severe and it was very, very intense, and it was meant to be a painful deterrent," the historian added. "And the flogging was pretty brutal at times."No documented evidence exists, however, that Serra himself flogged or used corporal punishment on the Indians, the Los Angeles Archdiocese says.Serra often distanced himself and his missions from the soldiers' garrisons, and he "was constantly critiquing the military for its treatment of the Native Americans," including rape of Indian women, Laverone added."He didn't want them to be infected by the Spanish military way of thinking," Laverone said. "There was a battle there. Am I in charge or is the commander of the Spanish military?"There was one thing Serra couldn't control: virulence.JUST WATCHEDThe Pope's ReporterReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Pope's Reporter 02:21The Spaniards introduced disease that halved the Indian population from 310,000 to about 150,000 from the time of the missionaries' arrival in 1769 until California became a state in 1850, Senkewicz said.As staggering as the toll was, the Indians learned skills, built the enduring missions and learned Christianity.And Serra was the patrician father of it all."He also was somebody who deep in his heart believed that he loved the Indians," Senkewicz said. "He thought that they were like children, and the missions were frankly paternalistic institutions, and Serra was frankly paternalistic."A good father sometimes has to be stern and tough with his children," Senkewicz said.Transformation of a mission archaeologistSerra's impact on America speaks to the intersection of faith, identity, and origin.Those themes exert profound power over people, and Ruben Mendoza is no exception.An archaeologist, Mendoza is director of the California missions archaeological program at California State University, Monterey Bay, where he is among the founding faculty.JUST WATCHEDRed news, blue news, and the Pope ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRed news, blue news, and the Pope 07:51But for much of his life, he despised the Spaniards and their conquest of native people. After all, Mendoza's grandmother was a 4-foot-7-inch Yaqui Indian who lived in Mexico, where his family originates.In fact, Mendoza, now 59, grew up reciting the Lord's Prayer in Nahuatl, an indigenous language of Mexico. Born and raised Catholic in California's San Joaquin Valley, Mendoza condemned Spanish colonialism, which he called a "cancer.""I had become very negative to anything related to the Spanish or the European," Mendoza said. So he immersed himself in the culture of native people, which became his identity.Then, life began to change when he worked an archaeological dig at a 16th century convent in Puebla, Mexico.There he discovered something about himself.Out of the rubble, he saw a mélange of artifacts of three peoples: European, Indian, and Mexican.The relics piled together marked "the beginnings of an epiphany," he said."Until 1993, I was ultra-indigenous," Mendoza said. "I had ignored the Hispanic dimension. There I was forced to reconcile both of those things."Later, in 2006, the diocese of Monterey asked Mendoza to assess one of the missions founded by Serra.Mendoza made another discovery: He found the original foundation of a chapel used by Serra in 1772, making it the earliest formal Christian architecture in California.JUST WATCHEDPope Francis arrives in CubaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPope Francis arrives in Cuba 01:10The find left Mendoza thunderstruck. Serra's frontier evangelism among the Indians left a profound impression. And now Mendoza was standing in the remains of an area that once held the tabernacle."Suddenly, all of my ancestors channeled me in this area. I'm a scientist, and I now that sounds flaky, but it was so powerful, and I fell to my knees and made the sign of the cross," Mendoza said."I had an adversarial relationship with Serra which went unspoken up until that moment," Mendoza said. "I am both of these traditions. Why do I keep denigrating half of who I am in order to accommodate the indigenous?"Now when Mendoza is asked about Serra's canonization, Mendoza declares: "It's past due."Though he has been "attacked as a person of indigenous heritage working on the missions," Mendoza welcomes how the Serra controversy "opens a dialogue about Hispanics and the indigenous." Galvan's story: the mission curatorGalvan, the fourth-great-grandson of the first mission Indians, has endured his share of vilifications, too.What sets Galvan's story apart is his role in the California's missions.He is the curator, or museum director, at Mission Dolores in San Francisco."I am the only descendant of Indians who were missionized at any of the 21 California missions who is currently in a position of responsibility at one of those missions. So it's a unique situation, and it's one that I would hope in the next 20 or 30 years changes," Galvan said.JUST WATCHEDPope Francis heads to Cuba after months of secret diplomacyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPope Francis heads to Cuba after months of secret diplomacy 02:50Galvan sees Serra's sainthood as an opportunity for Indians to leverage the church for changes at the missions.He would like to see free admission for visitors who are Native American, the creation of a standard presentation on the Indian world before the Spanish occupation, displays on which tribes built the mission, and an acknowledgment of native peoples today."Somewhere in the timeline, the Indians just disappear. Gone. They just don't exist," Galvan said of the missions' educational features. "Most mission museums do not even acknowledge that native people exist today."In fact, Mission Dolores doesn't even list the names of the 5,700 Indians buried there between 1776 and 1834 -- except for two names. They are Galvan's fourth-great-grandparents, thanks to a grave marker installed by Galvan. Galvan is urging the church to create a digital projection screen of the remaining 5,698 names.For now, Galvan is encouraged by the missions and their bishops to consider some of those proposals, though Galvan likens his efforts to "the dog barking in the building." The Catholic Church now runs 19 of the 21 missions as active parishes.JUST WATCHEDThe Pope's exileReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Pope's exile 03:40"These are the positive things that could happen. The pus is still oozing. Do you want to put a poultice on it to make it better?" Galvan said, referring to the enduring wound of Native Americans.While a crusader about healing those injuries, Galvan nonetheless endorses the canonization of Serra.In fact, he has urged sainthood for Serra for the past 37 years, working with the Franciscans' campaign."Everybody ... asks, Andy, how can you support the guy? I have to be able to sleep at night. So I have answered that: I believe Junipero Serra was a very, very good man in a very, very bad situation. And the bad situation is what we call colonialism," Galvan said. "Junipero Serra is being proclaimed a saint because he lived the life of a saint."Galvan added a personal note: "He is the person who brings the Christian gospel to my ancestors in California."With that conviction, Galvan will attend the Pope's official ceremony canonizing Serra in Washington this week.There, he will take on another unique role."I will be the happiest Indian in the United States of America that day," he said of a St. Junipero Serra.	3news
Story highlightsAndy Spyra took portraits of women who had been abducted by Boko Haram in NigeriaDozens would sit in front of the camera and tell their personal stories of survival (CNN)Nearly two years have passed since the terror group Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria, unleashing a global outcry to bring them back.But according to photojournalist Andy Spyra, "the Chibok girls (are) just the tip of the iceberg; what happened there is what happens on a nearly daily basis."Spyra has been documenting the return of abducted women in Nigeria, their dangerous journeys and their difficult reintroduction to society. In July, he traveled to Yola, the capital of the northeastern state of Adamawa and the front lines of the government's war against Boko Haram. There, he and reporter Wolfgang Bauer talked with women who had survived the brutality and torture of the Islamic militant group."I was moved by the strength of the women ... you would sometimes just listen to their stories and be overwhelmed by it, what they would tell you," Spyra said. Photographer Andy SpyraWhen their story was published in Zeit, a German magazine, the journalists also included a call for help: Please help us create a fund to help these women.Read More"I had this wish to come back and help them in a real concrete way, to come back with something physical in my hands to give back to them," Spyra said. His wish was granted. The response "got pretty big," Spyra said, and in January they went back to help these women set up bank accounts.Spyra soon found himself on the phone more than behind the camera. Delivering money to these women who live in one of the world's most dangerous areas seemed quixotic at first. But it worked."It was all teamwork," Spyra said. "I had a local fixer in Yola who helped identify former Boko Haram victims. The security was tricky even for him. It took some time, at least six months, until he gave us a list of 72 women near the Sambisa Forest."Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.The women were put on a bus, and every detail was taken care of to avoid attention from potential suicide bombers. The women were even patted down and walked through a metal detector. "It was such a sensitive issue for these women," Spyra said. "They had never seen a white man before, and what a cultural gap there was. And at the same time I felt connected to them on a human level, an emotional level." But before organizing their finances, Spyra wanted to immortalize their stories through what he knew how to do best. Photographing them this time, however, would be tricky for security reasons. He had to shield them from potential eavesdroppers and avoid attracting attention. With a piece of black cloth, a few rags and a little chair, Spyra created a makeshift studio at a church compound. There, one by one, dozens of women would sit in front of the camera and tell their personal stories of survival.There were snakes and scorpions, rivers that you had to cross where thousands of women have died in their attempt to flee. These women are really strong and really tough, and how they did it, I don't know.Photographer Andy Spyra"We heard stories of dead bodies and mass graves, the others in the forest of people who didn't make it," Spyra said. "There were snakes and scorpions, rivers that you had to cross where thousands of women have died in their attempt to flee. These women are really strong and really tough, and how they did it, I don't know."Spyra said "in some cases, they escaped during bombardment of Boko Haram-held villages. Some of them scaled fences. Some of them had smart ideas about saying they were going to the market, and they just ran off."The resulting photo series is an ode to the victims, their forgotten odysseys, their loss of childhood and the difficult road ahead. Partially lit in natural light and enveloped by a heavy black background like a penumbra, their faces -- especially their eyes -- reflect something they are holding very deep. The economy of lighting emphasizes the scars, the gaze and the discreet expressions of the humanity that has survived so much pain. It is the art of portraiture, something Spyra confessed he knew nothing about."I was sweating like hell, not because of the heat in Nigeria, but because I was nervous because I had never had a portrait assignment," he said. "This was my first attempt."This is how I could best convey their characters and their personalities. They were radiating, they were strong personalities. I was impressed by their presence after all they had been through, so strong and confident. It really was powerful."Andy Spyra is a photographer based in Germany. You can follow him on Facebook.	3news
(CNN)After making history with his victory at the Open earlier this month, Collin Morikawa might well be the favorite to win Olympic gold in the country where half his family is from. Morikawa, who is half Japanese, became the first man to win both the PGA Championship and the Open on his tournament debuts having won his maiden major last year. And now he is in Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of a four-man Team USA delegation, looking to win the country's first ever Olympic gold medal in men's single golf. After finishing in the top 15 of the Olympic Golf Ranking at the close of the qualification period, Morikawa joined Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau in receiving the honor of representing the US at the Summer Games. Unfortunately for 2020 US Open winner DeChambeau, he has been forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19. He has since been replaced by 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed. Read MoreJust over two years ago, Morikawa was ranked 1,039th in the world having finished tied for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open in June 2019. Now, he is a two-time major winner heading to the Olympics. And he says he's ready to soak everything up while in Japan. "(His excitement) is through the roof to really think about where I was two years ago as an amateur and where I am now in the world, everything I've done so far," he told CNN Living Golf's Shane O'Donoghue. "It's crazy to think that I have this opportunity, but it's something that I'm never going to take for granted. No one's going to be able to take it away from me and to be representing Team USA, it's one of the biggest honors really."Morikawa practices ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games golf competition.Playing for his countryWhile Morikawa is making his first appearance for Team USA, it is not his first time playing as part of a team in a golf tournament. During his amateur career, the 24-year-old participated in team formats at the Arnold Palmer Cup, the Walker Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy. But competing at the Olympics as part of Team USA is going to "top all of that by a million times" because of the Games' global appeal, according to the world No. 3. "For golf, we're such an individual sport. And even though the Olympics -- yeah, we're playing individually, and we're making ourselves trying to win gold or whatever. You're playing for your country and those were the best memories I made as an amateur," he said. "And this is just going to top all of that by a million times because it's on a professional stage, it's worldwide. So really anytime you wear USA on your sleeve or your chest or wherever it may be, it's something that, it's always going to be with you."When the golf competition kicks off on Thursday, July 29, at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Morikawa will be suiting up alongside three of the top-12 ranked golfers in the world. As well as describing having "chills" when pulling on a jersey with the US flag embossed on it, the high caliber of the selected players -- and the players that missed out -- showcases the strength of American golf at the moment. "I think it shows the strength of young golf and a lot of young players right now. But we all want to beat up on each other. I think we try and do that. I haven't really talked to them since we've all made the team, but I know everyone's excited to be on that team. "You can't be on the team and not be excited to represent Team USA because I think you ask any player that's ever represented their country -- wherever they're from -- it's the biggest honor, especially since we play such an individual sport, when we're able to be on a team, um, it means that much more to us." Morikawa plays during a practice round at Kasumigaseki Country Club ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.Familiarity For Morikawa, coming to play in Japan will be a special honor given his Japanese heritage. Although his Japanese relatives have moved to the US, being half Japanese and having a Japanese surname "definitely resonates with a lot of people" in the country, says the two-time major winner. "It's cool to see people just somehow relate and see me: yes, I'm an American, but yes, I'm an Asian-American. And just see opportunities and hope that people that look like me could have this opportunity to go out and make an Olympic team."He recalls first making the trip to Japan with his family in 2017 when he was in college, falling in love with the people and culture in the process. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosMorikawa plays a shot from a bunker during a practice round of the men's golf event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.However, being a self-confessed foodie, it was the cuisine that really grabbed Morikawa and is one of the main things he's looking forward to in Tokyo. "I could eat sushi all day," he gushed. "When we played the ZOZO Championship (in October 2020), I remember we were in this little town around the airport, and I think every player went to this one sushi spot in it and hands down, it's probably one of my favorite places I've ever been to. "Definitely, something I look forward to," he added.	5sport
London (CNN)Boris Johnson campaigned on a single, simple slogan: "Get Brexit done." Britain, it seems, could not have agreed more.Fed up with the political turmoil over Brexit at Westminster, voters gave Johnson the mandate he craved to get the country out of the European Union by January -- no ifs, no buts. They may be disappointed. Far from Brexit being done, it's just getting started.In reality, Johnson's Brexit "deal" is just the first stage in a years-long process. Not that you'd have heard much of that from the Prime Minister, who preferred his catchy slogan to any complicated discussion about the framework of a future relationship with the EU or the long-term implications of quitting the bloc. Johnson just doesn't do nuance. In a political stunt on one of the final days of stumping, he drove a "Brexit" backhoe through a wall of polystyrene bricks emblazoned with the word "gridlock." But he successfully ducked difficult questions about what delivering Brexit might look like in reality, limiting media appearances and even retreating into a walk-in refrigerator to avoid a TV interview.Read MoreLive: Full UK election resultsBoris Johnson's Conservatives win majority in UK electionThe Conservative Party's campaign manifesto was similarly light on detail, avoiding any real insight into how Johnson plans to negotiate a trade agreement with Europe in just 11 months -- a process that typically takes years.That strategy seems to have worked, and Johnson's so-called "oven-ready" deal is now expected to pass through Parliament in the coming weeks, ushering Britain out of the EU by the end of January.It's the type of decisive mandate that Johnson's predecessor Theresa May hoped she might secure when she called a snap election in 2017; instead, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stunned the political establishment by engineering a Labour Party surge that cost May her parliamentary majority, forcing her into an awkward arrangement with a hardline party from Northern Ireland that limited her room for maneuver. Boris Johnson drives "Get Brexit Done" backhoe in campaign stunt.Corbyn failed to generate the same enthusiasm this time around. His campaign was plagued by relentless in-fighting and allegations of anti-Semitism. But it was his neutrality on the single biggest issue facing the country that seems to have led to his downfall. Corbyn had campaigned on a wishy-washy Brexit policy, promising a confirmatory second referendum on a softer Brexit deal, but refusing to say which side he would back."Labour will be seen as having allowed Brexit," says Professor Tony Travers, director of the Institute of Public Affairs at the London School of Economics. "One of the terrible ironies in all of this is that Boris Johnson probably broadly didn't want to leave the EU, but now is in a position whereby he has to make it happen. Corbyn, on the other hand, who did want to leave, has tried -- and failed -- to articulate a possible remain position for his party."As a result, the Conservatives managed to flip areas long held by Labour -- working-class party heartlands that wouldn't have dreamed of voting for the Conservatives even 10 years ago -- which had backed Leave in 2016.Boris Johnson bet the farm on an election and it paid off bigIn one fell swoop, Labour has effectively been relegated to the sidelines -- along with its radical, socialist policy plans -- delivering the Conservatives a majority that has not been seen since the era of Margaret Thatcher.Now the question is, what is Johnson going to do with his new-found political power?It's important to remember that a lot of the challenges for the UK have yet to come. After the Brexit deal is passed and ratified in January, the UK moves into an even more expansive and complicated negotiation period, setting out just how closely aligned it will stay to the EU on issues like the environment, competition, workers' rights and trade.Johnson is hoping to secure a new trade agreement with the EU by the end of 2020, before the end of the so-called transition period -- during which the UK will be formally out of the bloc, but still subject to all its rules and regulations. That's a quick turnaround, especially if he seeks to diverge significantly from EU rules, as he has indicated. And, given Johnson's emphasis on sticking to the December 2020 deadline, it is likely that he will have to compromise on just how deep and ambitious any deal might be.BBC exit poll shows Johnson's Conservative Party winning the election."The main constraints on Boris Johnson will no longer be the House of Commons, but time," says Brigid Fowler, a senior researcher at the Hansard Society, indicating that his ambitions for a "fantastic new free trade agreement" may be constrained by the ever-ticking clock. "If you're up against that tight of a timetable, it would seem to militate against any sort of bespoke arrangements for the UK and indicates more of an off-the-shelf solution."Still, such a large parliamentary majority affords Johnson a lot of freedom in shaping that deal, at least from the UK side."It opens up Boris Johnson's leeway and ability to move in the next phase, but doesn't mean the situation for the EU significantly changes," says Joe Owen, Brexit program director at the Institute for Government think tank.In the early hours of Friday morning, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU was "ready to negotiate" whatever the outcome of the election.And the second phase of Brexit negotiations is set to be more trying than the last. For months we have watched Westminster for make or break votes, but the ratification process will turn our collective attention to parliaments all across the European Union -- every member state will get a vote and veto on the framework of the UK's future relationship.Further still down the line is implementation. Negotiating and ratifying a deal is one thing, but actually putting it in place and transferring it into the systems of government is another. It's a process that has the potential to drag on for years.	3news
Story highlightsThe gangsters were on trial for the murders of car drivers Several people were also injured in the incidentMoscow (CNN)Three gang members were killed after they disarmed guards and opened fire in a courthouse in the Russian capital, Moscow, state media reported. The three were part of a group of five gangsters from the GTA street gang, who tried to seize the guards' weapons in an elevator, Russia Interior Ministry spokeswoman Tatiana Petrova told state-run news agency TASS. They were defendants being taken to trial at the Regional Court in the outskirts of Moscow at the time, she said. "Three of the arrested were killed while trying to flee the scene when the elevator was forcibly stopped, two were wounded," Petrova said. A bailiff and armed guard also suffered bullet wounds in the attack, lawyer Sofia Rubasskaya, who was in the building at the time, told TASS. At least two policemen were also wounded."We were at a different session when heard shots fired. More than 20 shots were made. We began to be evacuated. I saw a wounded woman bailiff, her face in blood. Later somebody said that an armed guard had been injured," Rubasskaya said. Read MoreThe incident is not thought to be terrorist related and the court has resumed its hearings, TASS reported. The members of the GTA Gang, which took its name after a computer game, are charged with the murders of car drivers in the Moscow and neighboring Kaluga regions in 2012 and 2014, Russian media reports. CNN's Angela Dewan and Carol Jordan contributed to this report.	3news
Story highlightsThe sculpture features seagulls regurgitating plastic and weighs 2.5 tonsCoca-Cola uses just 7% recycled material in their bottles, according to GreenpeaceThe company said recognized marine litter was a global problem (CNN)Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance to Coca-Cola's UK headquarters in London with a 2.5-ton sculpture featuring a seagull regurgitating plastic, and called for the company to do more to help prevent plastic pollution.The campaign group said the sculpture, which depicts an idyllic family beach scene interrupted by birds choking on plastic, was intended to highlight what it claimed were failings by the company.In a report released on Monday, Greenpeace claimed that Coca-Cola -- the world's largest soft drinks company -- sells more than 100 billion plastic bottles every year. Single-use plastic bottles make up nearly 60% of the packaging produced by the company globally, the report says. The sculpture featured a seagul vomiting plastic.It is impossible to know how many of these bottles end up in seas and oceans, but Greenpeace said Coca-Cola wasn't doing enough."We were trying to uncover for the first time the true size of Coca-Cola's plastic footprint," Louisa Casson, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, told CNN. "And we are actually seeing them going backwards. Rather than investing more in refillables and reusables, they've increased their use of single-use plastic bottles over the last decade."Read MoreCoca-Cola said it was "disappointed" by the action by Greenpeace, and said it would publish a new "sustainable packaging strategy" later this year.'Missed targets'Casson said that although "the company continues to call on their customers to recycle," only 7% of Coca-Cola bottles on average are made with recycled plastic.EU issues 'final warnings' to five countries over air pollution breachesCasson pointed out that several soft drinks brands already use 100% recycled material in their bottles, including Suntory's UK brand Ribena and PepsiCo's 7Up, which has been sold in 100% recycled "Eco-Green" bottles since 2011.Greenpeace claimed Coca-Cola is also falling behind on its target to recycle the equivalent of 75% of the bottles and cans it sells in developed countries by 2020, despite their bottles being 100% recyclable. "We've installed this (sculpture) at their front door today to stop them washing their hands of the problem," said Casson."Plasticide" was designed by underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. At 2.5 tons, the sculpture is "pretty heavy," Casson said, "but ten times that weight of plastic is flowing into the oceans every single minute."The problem of marine litterThe secret behind Coca-Cola's success in AfricaIn a written statement to CNN, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said: "We are disappointed by today's stunt and the report from Greenpeace UK, especially as we have been consulting with them to develop our new sustainable packaging strategy which we will publish in the summer.""Coca-Cola is one of the few consumer goods companies whose packaging is 100% recyclable," the spokesperson said."In Great Britain, we have reduced the amount of packaging we by use by 15% since 2007 and we currently use 25% recycled plastic in all of our bottles. Globally, we continue to increase the use of recycled plastic (rPET) in countries where it is feasible and permitted."We recognize marine litter is a global problem affecting the world's oceans," the spokesperson said. "We agree that action is needed, are open to doing more and to working with others to create long-term, effective solutions."Plastic litter on Kahuku beach, HawaiiOne soft drinks bottle can take hundreds of years to fully degrade. Coca-Cola has not disclosed how many plastic bottles it produces each year, but a previous Greenpeace study found that 530 billion plastic PET bottles were produced around the world in 2014, just over half of which were recycled.That study found that six of the top soft drinks companies in the world, including PepsiCo, Danone and Nestle, use a combined average of 6.6% recycled material in their bottles.Casson told CNN she would like Coca-Cola to take the lead on producing more environmentally-friendly bottles, and hopes Greenpeace can work with the firm to reach that goal. "We would like to see them lead the sector by ditching throwaway plastic, embracing reusable models and rapidly moving towards 100% recycled content for the remainder of their packaging," Casson said."It's a huge global crisis facing our oceans," she added. "But if we're going to tackle it at source we're going to need concerted action from the companies."	3news
The US economy has been on the upswing for a very long time. Even after factoring in Friday's weak jobs report, which showed a slowdown in hiring, US employers have added jobs for 104 months in a row.Come July, the expansion will beat out the 1990s to become America's longest period of continuous growth on record. But unlike the 1990s boom — which included steady job creation, low inflation and a surging stock market — this latest expansion has been more like a prolonged, gradual crawl. It took years for America to emerge from its worst setback since the Great Depression.The recovery has also been uneven. It started at different times in different parts of the country, lifting some people more than others. And now, questions are intensifying around just how close America is to the end of this business cycle, and what — if anything — could finally bring it to an end. Let's take a look at the ten years since the economy bottomed out to see where things stand. Read MoreEmployment is boomingThe share of Americans who want a job and can't find one, known as the unemployment rate, is one of the clearest indications that the US economy has returned to health. At 3.6% in May, the rate has been hovering near 50-year lows. Meanwhile, consumer sentiment has reached historic highs. CNN polls also show that 7 in 10 Americans think the US economy is in "good shape" or better. Part of the reason that unemployment is so low is that employers have more open positions than they can easily find workers to fill them. The job openings rate, which measures job listings as a percentage of the total number employed, zoomed past the hiring rate in 2015. There have been more job openings than workers to fill them since early 2018, meaning that there's theoretically a job for everyone — if they're in the right places, with the right qualifications. That doesn't mean that everyone has as much work as they want, however. A broader measure of underemployment, which also captures discouraged workers and those who want to work more hours, was slower to sink and still hasn't reached its lowest point on record, in 2000. Also, the labor force participation rate for people in their prime working years — which measures the share of the population who either have jobs or are looking for one — remains a full percentage point below its pre-recession high and two points below the all-time high in 1999.The tightening labor market also took a long time to translate into higher wages, with average hourly earnings growth topping 3% in 2018, not counting inflation. Many employers have added non-wage benefits like better health care and help repaying student loans, but those total compensation costs still haven't topped the 3.5% year-over-year growth rates reached before the recession. Also, those gains have flowed disproportionately to people switching jobs — workers who stay with one employer for long periods of time still aren't always getting regular raises. Why have wages been slow to recover? Economists generally chalk it up to the decline of labor unions, slow productivity growth, automation that allows employers to replace workers if they get too expensive, and a continued influx of workers from the sidelines who may not have been able to afford to hold a job because childcare or transportation costs exceeded their wages.But economists argue that the longer unemployment remains very low, the more ground workers are likely to regain — especially those that employers have historically overlooked, like people of color, the disabled and the formerly incarcerated. Markets roared back, but not everyone has benefitedMost American businesses — or at least, those that survived the recession — didn't take long to return to profitability. As a percentage of GDP, after-tax profits have been significantly higher than they were during previous decades, as the share of corporate income going to labor has declined. The stock market started rebounding almost immediately and has hit record after record, driven in part by loose monetary policy that propped up asset values. Even after a couple of stumbles brought on by instability in China and a confluence of factors at the end of 2018, the S&P 500 has still more than quadrupled in value since bottoming out in February 2009. That sustained bull market didn't help everyone, however. Only 54% of Americans say they own stocks either directly or through a 401(k), according to a Gallup poll in 2017, down from 65% in 2007. Wealthier people were able to buy low during the downturn and benefit from ten years of gains, while poorer people had to get by on their wages, contributing to the continued rise in wealth inequality in the post-recession period. Housing prices recovered as well, but more so in tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, even Denver and Portland. Those are also the cities where zoning restrictions have kept a lid on housing supply, sending prices soaring as high-paying tech employers flocked to previously-abandoned city centers. In those places, high housing prices are bad news for renters, who have faced much steeper increases in the cost of shelter as a result of the years-long drought in non-luxury apartment construction that developers are still trying to build their way out of. In other places, housing values remain depressed. Smaller cities in the industrial Midwest were hit hard by the drop-off in manufacturing employment during the recession. Even after tens of thousands of vacant properties were demolished and the foreclosure rate virtually disappeared, homes are still worth far less than they were in sections of Detroit, Cleveland and Erie — which has a lingering impact on residents' financial well-being. Warning signs are on the horizonFor both consumers and businesses, memories of widespread defaults and bankruptcies have faded fast, and we are living in a new era of debt. Cheap capital has prompted companies to take nearly as much leverage as ever as a percentage of the economy. Much of it has gone into share buybacks and acquisitions, propelling a movement towards consolidation that some argue has retarded business dynamism and stifled innovation. Although total mortgage debt has subsided — in part because so many people lost their homes through foreclosure after the financial crisis — Americans have racked up more credit card debt than ever and student debt has multiplied nearly sevenfold since the end of the recession, as people took refuge from a bad job market by going back to school. More important than the raw amount of debt, however, is the difficulty consumers are having when they try to pay it back. Here, student debt is proving to be the biggest problem: Delinquency rates for student loans have surpassed those for home loans, since the jobs graduates got weren't always well-paid enough to keep up with rent, grocery and loan payments at the same time. Unlike mortgages, student loans can't be discharged in bankruptcy. And there's mounting evidence that those heavy debt burdens have kept young people in particular from purchasing their first homes, although the overall homeownership rate has rebounded to its historic average. Finally, government borrowing has also ballooned as a percentage of GDP over the last decade. It started during the Great Recession, when the government passed several stimulus measures to resuscitate the economy. The national debt should have subsided as tax revenues recovered, but massive tax cuts in 2017 only added more red ink. All that debt is only sustainable if interest rates remain as low as they have been on account of the Federal Reserve's prolonged strategy of buying US Treasuries in order to stimulate the economy. But an interest rate shock would swamp many deeply indebted companies in short order. That's why it's important to think about the risks — which at the moment center mostly around international trade. The United States' negative trade balance with other countries isn't necessarily a problem in itself, since American consumers benefit from products made more cheaply in other countries, and American businesses often locate their more knowledge-intensive jobs on their home turf. But it has proven a political hot potato, as President Donald Trump has imposed or threatened tariffs countries he says are "taking advantage" of the United States. Whether or not he's right, the escalating trade war tops the list of concerns for growth going forward for members of the National Association for Business Economics, whose most recent survey showed that 56% of its members saw trade tensions as the biggest downside risk for the economy in 2019. That doesn't necessarily mean tariffs will tank the recovery — but of course, it's happened before. When will the expansion end?Although it's an imperfect measure, the single broadest measure of economic growth is gross domestic product, and by that metric, the US has been performing fairly consistently since 2014. The economy has had only a handful of negative quarters since 2009, after four of them in a row. What's more, the US growth rate has remained significantly above those of most other developed countries, due in part to an oil and gas boom that has boosted exports and helped revive manufacturing. But even that is dropping off, with most economists projecting growth on the order of 2% in 2019, down from almost 3% in 2018, and declining thereafter. In that scenario, the best the United States can hope for is that a slow march towards economic health just gets a bit slower, rather than erasing a decade of painful progress.If the US does end up in another recession, it may not be immediately obvious. The National Bureau of Economic Research, which officially dates the beginnings and ends of business cycles, took 15 months to declare that the turning point had occurred in June 2009. Fortunately for America, research has found that long and deep recessions lead to more durable recoveries — not the other way around.	0business
Military fighter planes escorted a Gulfstream jet to the London area's Stansted Airport on Wednesday evening after the jet lost contact with air traffic controllers, an airport spokesman said. The Gulfstream landed at the airport, about 40 miles outside central London, about 7:45 p.m. local time and was escorted to a remote part of the airfield, Mark Davison said.At least one flight was delayed as the Gulfstream was escorted to a landing. The airport was reopened after the Gulfstream parked.Essex police had no immediate comment on the incident. U.S. extends ban on flights into Israel's Ben Gurion AirportDozens feared dead in Taiwan plane crash	3news
Warsaw, Poland (CNN)Ultra nationalists and fascist groups disrupted Poland's main independence day march Saturday, waving flags and burning flares as they marched down the streets of Warsaw.Some wore masks and waved red and white Polish flags, chanting "Death to enemies of the homeland," and "Catholic Poland, not secular." Police estimate that 60,000 people took part in the independence day march.Police estimate that 60,000 people overall took part in the annual march, CNN affiliate TVN reported. While the vast majority were Poles, other protesters came from all over Europe.Poland regained its independence in 1918.One of the lead organizations involved in the march is the National Radical Camp, which has previously taken to the streets to protest against Muslim immigration, gay rights, the EU and anything it considers undermines Polish Catholic values. Demonstrators disrupted the march.While support for the group remains small, its critics argue that the Polish government, which they say has struck a nationalistic tone and linked immigrants to crime and disease, has fostered an atmosphere of intolerance and xenophobia that has emboldened it.Some of those marching lit flares during the event.Read MoreIn a statement this week, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski strongly condemned the gathering saying: "We do not approve of support in the public sphere for an ethnic national community, we support the idea of a nation rooted in culture." This was echoed on Monday by Poland's President Andrzej Duda who said there was "no room or tolerance for xenophobia, sick nationalism or anti-semitism" in Polish society.Earlier on Saturday, the Polish capital had seen a far smaller demonstration by groups condemning the hijacking of Polish independence day, which falls on November 11. Far-right marchers waved flags as they took part in the march.The day celebrates the re-birth of Poland in November 1918, 123 years after the Prussian, Habsburg and Russian empires carved up Poland among themselves and erased it from the map of Europe.But in the past few years, the holiday has been overshadowed by the far-right march and fears of violence despite condemnation from key political figures in Poland.President Duda led the formal celebrations of Polish independence day in central Warsaw. After laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier, he told the crowd to remember the price of freedom and independence. Update: Edits have been made to this story to clarify the involvement of ultra nationalists in the march. Subsequent statements from Poland's deputy prime minister and president have been added.Correction: An earlier version of this article reported that some of the banners at the march said, "White Europe, Europe must be white," and "Pray for Islamic Holocaust."The freelance reporter who cited the banners got that information from other media reports. But CNN cannot independently confirm the presence of those banners at this year's march, and so that reference was removed.	3news
Story highlightsPhelps to retire again after Rio 2016Wins 23rd gold medal in last raceNow his rivals are those he inspiredFeats have raised US swimming profile (CNN)Michael Phelps set out with the goal "to change the sport of swimming."And, owning a record 23 Olympic gold medals after his final race at Rio 2016 ended with victory in Saturday's 4x100-meter medley relay, he has. Swimming is richer because of him, and will be poorer without him.People talk about the Phelps legacy, with some arguing his greatest contribution is yet to be realized with the list of pool performers he has inspired.Day 8: Follow all the action at Rio 2016 But the current legacy is illustrated in a decade-old photograph of a delighted nine-year-old Katie Ledecky with Phelps -- the American teenager is proving to be the dominant female swimmer of these Rio 2016 Olympic Games.Read MoreSimilarly it was captured on Friday in Rio as Joseph Schooling, who himself had been inspired by the Phelps phenomenon and was photographed with him as a youngster, stood disbelieving on the top step of the 100-meter butterfly podium above the US star.Read: Schooling humbles Phelps"We've all seen the photo of Katie and I when she was nine, and the photo of Joe and I," Phelps told reporters after the race. "I wanted to change the sport of swimming. That's what I wanted to do. With the people in the sport now, I think you're seeing it."It is no idle boast. After each of his triumphant Olympic swimming meets, USA Swimming membership soared.In the year post-Athens, it rose 7%, after Beijing there was an 11% increase, while what appeared to be his Games swansong in London sparked a 13% rise in those taking up the sport stateside.A further spike is anticipated by USA Swimming, whose latest figures show that when Phelps made his debut for the team, just 38% of their members were male; that figure is up to 44% and rising.Read: Phelps' financial legacyJames Guy is one of the new breed of swimmers in the pool. The 20-year Briton is the world champion in the 200m freestyle and anchored a British quartet in the 4x200m freestyle to silver behind none other than Phelps. Signature event"He's my hero -- one day I hope to be remembered like him," Guy told CNN. "I'll remember that for the rest of my life. I just said to him, 'It's an honor to race you, you've inspired me for so many years,' and he said 'thank you very much' and he gave me a hug, which was nice of him."Like Phelps, Mark Foster is a five-time Olympian and now a commentator for UK broadcaster the BBC at these Games.He argues that Phelps has added to his legacy by reclaiming the title in his signature event, the 200m butterfly, after being beaten by Chad le Clos at London 2012."He's not as unbeatable as he was," Foster told CNN. "He is human but he came back because he loves it. Swimming is a drug and he's addicted. London made him mortal but the immortality is back."But I've never seen a crowd more in love with him than in Brazil. They're just so into Michael Phelps, he has that effect on people. It's like watching Usain Bolt, everyone goes bang and realizes its something special. But here they realize it's finally the end of something special."Phelps' longtime rival Ryan Lochte has said he believes his US teammate will carry on after Rio. However, Phelps -- who retired at London 2012 before making a comeback two years later -- insists there will be no second U-turn."I'm not going four more years, and I'm standing by that," the 31-year-old said. "I didn't want to have a 'what if?' 20 years later but being able to close the door on this sport how I want to, that's why I'm happy now."The happiness has not always been there. The road to Rio has been rocky at times. There was the DUI arrest in the United States followed by a period of rehabilitation. Then at home there has been the recent arrival of his son Boomer, as much a feature for the camera lenses at the Olympic pool as his famous father.Read: Meet Phelps JrPhelps was just 15 when John Lohn, US correspondent for the highly-regarded website Swim Vortex, first saw him compete -- and he has followed his career in the intervening 16 years.For him, Phelps' legacy is shown by the increase in the sport's US profile.JUST WATCHEDMichael Phelps opens up on alcohol useReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMichael Phelps opens up on alcohol use 00:52"To find swimming on a channel in the US that every family could get, it had to be the Olympics," Lohn said. "But now you'll see the grand prix meets are televised on cable, while the nationals and international meets have quality coverage. That's Phelps -- singlehandedly he's elevated the profile of the sport."Phelps' peak was the eight golds in Beijing which broke Mark Spitz's previous record for a Games by one, although Lohn argues his achievements in Rio have been the next best."He doesn't need this, his legacy is going nowhere, which makes this more amazing," he said. "No one will ever match those titles but he always wants something else. The 200m butterfly put him on the map in the first place and he wanted it back."It doesn't matter if he's got one, 19 or 23 gold medals, he doesn't think like that. He thinks like he's trying to win his first medal. He has a competitive switch you only see in very few people. Michael Jordan had it ... that killer instinct."Arguably it was best highlighted ahead of the 200m butterfly semifinals, when Le Clos shadow-boxed in front of Phelps -- and the American reacted with a death stare that went viral.Poking the tiger?"He looks for anything that might motivate him, so what Chad did was not intelligent," Lohn argues. "Why would you poke the tiger? He doesn't need extra motivation so why give it to him?"Read: The Phelps death stareThe Phelps of 2016 has been unlike any other Games. Now a father and with all the titles to his name, he has appeared more relaxed and enjoyed it far more.JUST WATCHED15-year-old Michael Phelps: I don't have a normal lifeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH15-year-old Michael Phelps: I don't have a normal life 00:59It was there in the Team USA carpool karaoke beforehand, it was there in the manner in which he celebrated his first relay gold in Rio and it was even there in finishing second to Schooling.Lohn says his relationship with Phelps is also more relaxed."From my experience, he's never let me into his world. That's changed," he added. "Four years ago with that first music video, he was in it for a split second and his face said, 'I've got work to do.' This time, he embraced it. He's smiled more than I've ever seen him smile, he's like a different person."Before it was like he was on a business trip ticking boxes. Now he enjoys it and that's been great to see."The Phelps era is now over. What he has done will likely never be bettered. Swimming will miss him but those he has inspired will continue on.His lifelong coach Bob Bowman knows he will never work with another swimmer quite like him. When asked to describe in one word what Phelps had achieved and the wider impact on the whole sport, he simply said "remarkable."	5sport
Silverstone, UK (CNN)Valtteri Bottas denied Lewis Hamilton pole position at his home British Grand Prix by the tiniest of margins, crossing the line just 0.006 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate.Hamilton is searching for a record-breaking sixth win at Silverstone but a wobble on his last lap in the shootout for pole saw him fall agonizingly short of the Finn's time.Charles Leclerc impressed for Ferrari to claim third with his teammate Sebastian Vettel languishing back in sixth.READ: Leclerc dreams of winning world championship"It feels very good," Bottas said after qualifying. "It reminds me why you do it, for these kinds of feelings. It's been pretty close all weekend and today with Lewis, I'm just really, really happy to get a good lap and get pole."Read MoreA disappointed groan went up from the partizan home crowd when the deficit of six milliseconds flashed up on the big screen.Lewis Hamilton congratulates Valtteri Bottas on his pole position.READ: Daniel Ricciardo -- 'I could have had a world title by 30'READ: Can Lewis Hamilton overtake Michael Schumacher in Formula 1's record books?Fans flock to this Mecca of British motorsport in their droves every year and British flags adorned the stands at every turn."It's the best grand prix of the whole year and it's because of the energy the people bring," Hamilton said. "The tracks are great, the layouts and designs but without people like this to fill it and bring energy, its nothing. "We've got the best energy in England."Hamilton and the thousands of visiting supporters will be given hope ahead of Sunday's race by Bottas' record when starting from pole this season, having failed to convert two of his three starts from the front of the grid into victories.The 29-year-old -- 31 points behind championship leader Hamilton and chasing his first world title -- admitted in his press conference that it's a weakness he's been trying to address.It was Hamilton who profited on both those occasions, converting starts from second into victories in China and Spain.After a strong start to the season in which Bottas and Hamilton could barely be separated, the Finn has endured a dip in form but victory at Silverstone would reignite his title bid.	5sport
Story highlightsAtletico Madrid top La Liga after 4-0 home win over Real SociedadTributes paid to Luis Aragones before the match in Vicente CalderonAragones is a former Atletico player and coach Cristiano Ronaldo sent off as Real Madrid held by Athletic BilbaoAtletico Madrid paid emotional tribute to former player and coach Luis Aragones Sunday before sweeping to the top of La Liga with a style of football which would have made him proud.Following the 4-0 win over Real Sociedad at the Vicente Calderon stadium, the club's official website simply posted: Leaders: This if for you Luis.The victory saw them overtake Barcelona at the top of the standings -- the first time they had achieved the feat since the double-winning season of 1995-96.Read: Spain mourns Aragones But it was all about Aragones, who died aged 75 Saturday. JUST WATCHEDBarca's Rosell resigns over Neymar dealReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBarca's Rosell resigns over Neymar deal 01:52JUST WATCHEDHoneymoon over for Gareth Bale, MadridReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHoneymoon over for Gareth Bale, Madrid 03:19 Photos: Bayern and Arsenal on top Photos: Bayern and Arsenal on topBayern and Arsenal on top – Arjen Robben celebrates after scoring Bayern Munich's third in the 5-0 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena.Hide Caption 1 of 4 Photos: Bayern and Arsenal on topBayern and Arsenal on top – Thiago Alcantara makes one of his Bundesliga record 185 touches in the comprehensive victory for Bayern.Hide Caption 2 of 4 Photos: Bayern and Arsenal on topBayern and Arsenal on top – Thiago congratulates defender Dante after he scored Bayern's fourth goal in the victory over Frankfurt.Hide Caption 3 of 4 Photos: Bayern and Arsenal on topBayern and Arsenal on top – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a second half double as Arsenal went back to the top of the English Premier League in beating Crystal Palace 2-0.Hide Caption 4 of 4He spent the majority of his football career with Atletico and is still the club's leading scorer, claiming La Liga titles both as a player and coach.Aragones capped his achievements by coaching Spain to the 2008 European Championship, the start of their domination of world football.Giant banners were unfurled in the Atletico stadium in his honor and tributes were observed before all the matches in the La Liga program. Aragones donned the number eight shirt for the team and home fans waited until the eighth minute of the match before chanting his name. Read: Atletico and Barca stalemateIt was entirely fitting that it was David Villa, the competition's top scorer when Aragones led Spain to Euro 2008 glory, who opened the scoring against Basque side Sociedad when he swept home Diego Costa's low cross.The sought after Costa doubled Atletico's advantage with a typical finish before Miranda headed home the third.Diego Ribas rounded off a glorious evening for Atletico -- who are also into the last 16 of the Champions League -- with a shot into the roof of the visiting net.Sociedad were playing their first match since Thursday's bizarre Copa del Rey clash with Racing Santander, whose players staged on an on-pitch strike in protest at unpaid wages.Read: Striking team banned from Copa del Rey They held their own for much of the match after Villa's 12th of the season just before the break, but a late flurry by Atletico sealed the win to take them three points clear of Barca, who suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat to Valencia Saturday.Atletico manager Diego Simeone said he was proud of his team and their fans. "When someone like Luis leaves us there is pain and sadness, but today the fans, the game and that silence for the first eight minutes before they sang his name moved me," he told AFP. "From above he would be wearing red and white and happy with the bravery we showed."Real Madrid missed the chance to move within a point of their city rivals when held to a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao later Sunday and suffered an even bigger setback as Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off.Ronaldo set up Jese for Real's second half opener before Ibai Gomez equalized for the impressive hosts.Ronaldo was then dismissed after a tussle with home defender Carlos Gurpegi to leave his depleted team to hold on a for a point in the final few minutes.	5sport
London (CNN)The fire service in the UK city of Manchester arrived two hours late to the scene of a deadly suicide bombing last year and played "no meaningful role" in the response, a report published Tuesday has found.Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people last year on May 22 in the foyer of an arena, as thousands of people streamed out after attending an Ariana Grande concert.An independent review, chaired by former Head of the Civil Service Lord Kerslake, illustrated how poor communications between the emergency agencies gave the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) conflicting information. The service began the wrong type of response and later set up at an incorrect "rendezvous" point several miles away from the scene as a result.Two fire teams were in earshot of the explosion yet did not immediately respond at or nearer to the scene, having been told it was too dangerous to do so. "The Fire Service was effectively 'outside the loop,' having no presence at the rendezvous point established by the Police, little awareness of what was happening at the Arena and only a very limited and belated presence," the report found.Flowers left in St. Ann's Square on May 23, 2017, a day after the bombing.Read MoreThe fire service was heavily reliant on the police and ambulance services for information and an inter-agency officer to coordinate the different services.The fire service said in a statement Tuesday that there were clear failures in the leadership and decision-making in the response, and that the firefighters had been let down by their superiors."The 22nd May 2017 was Greater Manchester's darkest hour and it is clear that our response fell far short of that which the people of Greater Manchester have a right to expect. I apologize unreservedly for that," said Dawn Docx, the service's interim chief fire officer."The fundamental mistake made by the fire service that night was failing to communicate with our partner agencies and that is something at the forefront of our plans to change fundamentally the fire service and its culture."The report said there was no single reason or person behind the failure: "Rather, it was a combination of poor communication and poor procedures."Vodafone failThe report also pointed to failure by telecommunications company Vodafone, saying that a casualty bureau it had set up "was seriously hampered by the complete failure" of a telephone-based communications system provided by Vodafone."As a consequence, communication with the families caught up in the attack was badly affected," the report found.It said that a dedicated telephone contact service was not set up more than four hours after the attack."This failure was a cause of significant stress and upset on the night to the families involved, who were seeking to find out more about the situation of their loved ones. A number were reduced to a frantic search around the hospitals of Greater Manchester to find out more."Tributes for the victims of the Manchester bombing at Albert Square on May 24, 2017.Vodafone, which has a contract with the government to provide dedicated phone services in emergencies, has also apologized. In a statement to CNN it admitted that a failure in one of its systems meant the Greater Manchester Police were not able to issue the dedicated number immediately after the attack."This was clearly unacceptable and we sincerely apologize for the distress caused to those affected by this terrible attack," Vodafone said in a statement sent to CNN.The report did, however, commend emergency responders, saying there was "a lot to be proud of."Police and ambulance services arrived at the scene rapidly, and armed officers quickly secured the area.	3news
London (CNN)It's been a gut-wrenching week for Black Britons.First came the interview where what many Black Britons believed in their hearts to be true was confirmed -- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Britain's first member of the modern British royal family to identify as a woman of color, said she was forced to leave the monarchy in large part due to the British press "inciting... racism" against her."Then came the defensiveness of some in the media trying again to gaslight an entire nation."It made me feel unsafe that was the emotion I felt," Karen Gibson said of the interview that shook Britain and provoked the ugly underbelly of prejudice. Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir perform outside Kensington Palace on July 24, 2018 in London, England.The 56-year-old Gospel singer led the Kingdom Choir's rendition of "Stand by Me" for Prince Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in the summer of 2018. Read More"We knew we were breaking new ground," she said of the group's moving performance. "We were standing there for communities of color not only in the UK, but all over the world, and we knew America would be watching." Overnight, Gibson, dubbed the "Godmother of Gospel" by British media, became a celebrity in her south London community of Clapham, where she has lived for decades. "I was sitting on the bus one day and a woman, a Black lady, came and sat next to me and she said, 'We made it!' and I was like 'Did we? Did we make it?" Gibson laughed. Now that hope and optimism is tinged with the deep pain of racial trauma -- the struggles of an American actress living in the palace spoke directly to the lived experience of ordinary Black Britons. "I think my reaction was still? Are we here still in 2021?" Gibson said of the explosive interview. Gibson feels her words about Meghan have been misrepresented in the media before -- an experience she says left her "traumatized" and led to a "loss of trust" in journalists.British royal family plunged into crisis after Harry and Meghan allege racism and neglect in Oprah interviewAt a time of nationwide lockdown, the UK's mainstream media is its public square -- a space that many Black Britons say is hostile to them.Buckingham Palace said in a statement this week that, "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning."In response to Harry's accusation that British tabloids are "bigoted" and build a "toxic environment" of "control and fear," the UK's Society of Editors claimed racism played no part in the coverage of the Duchess. The group's head stepped down after a swift rebuke from more than 160 journalists of color. calling the statement "willful ignorance.""The blanket refusal to accept there is any bigotry in the British press is laughable, does a disservice to journalists of color and shows an institution and an industry in denial," they added.Popular TV host Piers Morgan's claim on one of Britain's most watched morning shows that he "didn't believe a word" that Meghan was saying led to 41,000 complaints to the UK's communication regulator. An investigation was launched, and the famous presenter lost his top gig. On Wednesday, Morgan said that he still does not believe Meghan."I've had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don't [believe her]," Morgan tweeted. "If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I'm happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I'm off to spend more time with my opinions."UK media executive resigns after Black journalists blast group for being 'in denial' about racismShola Mos-Shogbamimu, whose heated on-air exchange with Morgan went viral after he questioned Meghan's truthfulness during her Oprah interview, says it's going to take more than a couple of resignations to heal the divide."There is the issue of the lack of trust in the media," Mos-Shogbamimu said. "If the media is going to change your words, the tone of your words, how are you going to trust them with your most valuable asset which is your voice." The Britain that Prince Harry and Meghan left is already changing. It was rocked by a racial reckoning after the death of George Floyd in the US, that pushed tens of thousands of anti-racism demonstrators onto the streets of the UK. That hope for change is quickly turning into a demand for equality. "I cannot waste my energy on those who are still on the ABCs, 123s, do-re-mis of racism," Mos-Shogbamimu explained, "I recognize that those who are against progress on racial equality and racial justice ... one of their tactics is to frustrate the efforts of anti-racist activist like me, so if they have me arguing at the 123 level, where is my energy to deal with the real fight?" Away from the British mainstream media -- an overwhelmingly white institution -- Zeze Millz has carved out her own space on social media.Zeze Millz has carved out her own space in UK media.Her weekly YouTube show speaks to an audience of 120,000 on cultural and political issues. "We've been nice. We've been very, very nice for however long," Millz explained from her studio in London. "Now we are at that point where it's like, no, our voices are going to be heard now and if it is uncomfortable for you then tough luck." Britons are often quick to condemn viral videos of police brutality against Black people in America, but at home the refrain "racism does not exist," is all too commonly heard by people of color, Millz says."There is a lot of overt racism in America," Millz said, "Whereas here it's not like that -- it's very under-handed. They always kind of gaslight you and come up with another reason why it's not racism." Supporters of the royal couple see the TV interview as a public and global affirmation that Black Britain was right: racism does exist in the UK. But they argue exposing systemic inequality is only step one. "The racism is too deep. It's deep for one person to almost come in and change all of that, but I think that this interview will spark a lot of change," Millz said.In passing remarks to a journalist on Thursday, Prince William, Harry's brother, said, "We're very much not a racist family." But it seems unlikely this black-and-white, whodunnit definition of racism will be enough to silence the demands for change at a time of racial reckoning.CNN has launched Royal News, a weekly newsletter bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what's happening behind palace walls. Sign up here.	3news
(CNN)A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and seven counts of attempted murder over a series of stabbings in Birmingham, England, in the early hours of Sunday morning. "The suspect was detained at an address in Selly Oak at around 4am [UK time] after our detectives worked through the night in a bid to catch the man responsible," West Midlands Police said in a statement.A 23-year-old man died in the attack. A man and a woman, aged 19 and 32, suffered serious stab wounds and remain in hospital in a critical condition, according to police. Five other people, aged between 23 and 33, were less seriously hurt.The stabbings took place over a roughly two-hour stretch from 12.30 a.m. to 2.30 a.m local time on Sunday, at several locations in central Birmingham on Constitution Hill, Livery Street, Irving Street and Hurst Street. West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent Steve Graham said Sunday that police were treating the incidents as a "linked series."Read More"The 27-year-old remains in police custody for questioning over the knife attacks that shocked the city in the early hours of Sunday morning," police said Monday. Police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward, and have asked anyone who has photos or video of the attacks to get in touch with them. "All my thoughts are with those affected by the terrible incident in Birmingham last night," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Sunday. "My thanks to the emergency services," he added.	3news
(CNN)The UK's postal service is urging environmental campaigners to stop sending empty potato chip bags without an envelope after the launch of a campaign urging the country's most popular chip producer to ditch its plastic packaging.The online campaign, which has been signed by more than 310,000 people, calls on the PepsiCo-owned British chip manufacturer Walkers to make its plastic packaging more environmentally friendly. Campaigners have been posting pictures of themselves mailing their empty bags of chips, or crisps as they are known in the UK, through the Royal Mail with the hashtag #PacketInWalkers.The UK consumes approximately 6 billion packets of potato chips every year, according to campaign organizer Geraint Ashcroft. Most of those bags are not recyclable."That's an awful lot of landfill and poison for the environment," Ashcroft wrote on the campaign's petition page.Read MoreWalkers, which produces 11 million bags of potato chips daily, has said that it plans to make its packaging plastic-free by 2025.In a statement emailed to CNN on Wednesday, a Walkers spokesperson said: "We have received some returned packets and recognize the efforts being made to bring the issue of packaging waste to our attention. The returned packets will be used in our research, as we work towards our commitment of improving the recyclability of our packaging." The spokesperson added that PepsiCo is working on a number of ways to tackle the issue, including a pilot of compostable packaging in the US, India and Chile. But some campaigners say those proposals aren't enough. Campaigner Jarred Livesey wrote on Twitter: "2025 is too long to wait for you to use plastic free packaging. It's just not good enough. You produce 4 billion packs per year. I'm sending these back to you so you can deal with your own waste. #PacketInWalkers." .@walkers_crisps 2025 is too long to wait for you to use plastic free packaging. It's just not good enough. You produce 4 billion packs per year. I'm sending these back to you so you can deal with your own waste. #PacketInWalkers pic.twitter.com/S13uiZXpdx— Jarred Livesey (@Jaz_Livesey) September 22, 2018 Some however, have hinted it might be more environmentally -- and physically -- friendly to ditch their potato chip habit altogether. "What if - instead of buying crisps and posting the packages back to @walkers_crisps - we just save our planet AND cholesterol levels by not buying crisps...," Lisa Ann Pasquale wrote on Twitter.According to UK law, the Royal Mail must treat the potato chip bags as mail as long as they're properly addressed. Since Walkers has a registered Freepost address, any correspondence to the company doesn't require customers to pay for a stamp. "If an item is addressed properly and carries the correct postage then Royal Mail is obliged by law to handle and deliver the item to the stated address," a Royal Mail spokesperson said in a statement emailed to CNN. The national mail service has said, however, that it "strongly encourage(s)" activists involved in the campaign to use an envelope."If they are taking part in this campaign we would urge them to put crisp packets in an envelope before posting," the statement said, adding that customers who don't properly package their bags could cause delays or be taken out of the system altogether.	3news
Story highlightsKerber has won both group matchesKeys beats Cibulkova to stay in contentionWTA Finals feature the top eight playersLondon (CNN)Angelique Kerber put aside her understandable end-of-season fatigue as she beat Simona Halep to close in on her first WTA semifinals spot.Kerber struggled in her opening group match on Sunday, getting past Slovak Dominika Cibulkova in a tough three-setter. But up against former French Open finalist Simona Halep on Tuesday, the German showed why she is the world No 1 as she wore down the light-footed Romanian with typically aggressive baseline play, 6-4, 6-2 to clinch her 61st match win of the season."She's always a tough opponent, and I'm very happy to have my second match win here," Kerber said in a courtside interview after beating the Romanian for the fifth time in eight matches.READ: Angelique Kerber's narrow escape on day oneRead MoreKeys overpowers CibulkovaThe WTA Finals feature a round-robin format, with the top eight players in the rankings divided into two groups. Each competitor faces the three others in the group, with the top two in each section qualifying for the knockout semi-finals.In the other match in the red group, Madison Keys posted her first ever WTA Finals victory as she blasted 26 winners past Dominika Cibulkova to win 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour. The 21-year-old American, who never faced a break point, remained in contention in the group after losing her opening match to Halep in straight sets. She'll face Kerber in her final group match. BreakthroughFollow @cnnsport It has been quite the year for Kerber, who took over the No. 1 ranking from 22-time grand slam singles winner Serena Williams after securing her first US Open title last month. Kerber also won the Australian Open title at the start of the year and reached the finals of Wimbledon. Although Kerber laid the foundations for her breakthrough year with grueling workouts during the off-season, the biggest improvement has been made on the mental side. "I have more confidence right now," Kerber told reporters before the tournament started. "I know how to play the big tournaments also mentally, how to win really tough matches in tough situations, like playing finals in big tournaments, big stages. So this changed a lot [for me] as a player." READ: How a smart court helped Simona Halep improve her serveMaturityKerber's newfound maturity showed in the first set. After leading 3-1, Kerber suddenly found herself down 4-3 and faced with a break point as Halep put her under pressure from the back of the court. The German remained cool, fending off the break point and winning the next five games as she hustled, retrieved and fought for every shot. Turning point: @AngeliqueKerber saves break point at 3-4, goes on to win nine of last 11 games vs Halep @WTAFinalsSG pic.twitter.com/mCxuZ2v70q— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 25, 2016 Although the left-handed Kerber is known for her strong defensive skills and athleticism, she surprised Halep with a crafty sliced backhand drop shot to set up a break point leading 2-1 in the second set. The dropper of the highest order from @angeliquekerber! #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/iOVgdzp45C— WTA (@WTA) October 25, 2016 "Swing out of your shoes," Halep's coach, Darren Cahill, told his protégé as she trailed 4-1 in the second set. Halep did, but it wasn't enough as Kerber closed out the match on her third match point. READ: Svetlana Kuznetsova gives herself a mid-match hair cutKeys comes to grips with surface"Finally got the nerves out after the first match," Keys said in a court-side interview after beating Cibulkova of Slovakia for the fourth time in a row.A terrific close to a terrific performance from @Madison_Keys. She defeats Cibulkova 6-1, 6-4 #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/nmOvNgRLPd— WTA (@WTA) October 25, 2016 After dropping her opening match, the big-serving Keys said she'd struggled to adjust to the slow surface in Singapore. "I just had to kind of take a step back and not rush and know a lot of balls were going to come back into play," Keys said. "I think I was just more prepared for that tonight."READ: Halep and Keys on what it takes to become a top tennis player	5sport
(CNN)California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order Thursday, telling residents in the most populous state to stay home.It is the most restrictive order by a governor so far during the novel coronavirus pandemic.It applies to most of the state's 40 million residents. There are exceptions for workers in "16 critical infrastructure sections."The order takes effect Thursday night."Those that work in critical sectors should go to work. Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and more will stay open," Newsom tweeted. "We need to meet this moment and flatten the curve together."Read MoreLaw enforcement will not arrest violators, Newsom said in a news conference today."I don't believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that it's appropriate just to home isolate, protect themselves," he told reporters.The governor said the order is open-ended. "This is a dynamic situation," Newsom said.It comes as the number of cases in California and the United States skyrocket.The rising toll has medical officials around the country looking at how to treat the deadly virus, but one of the nation's preeminent infectious disease experts told CNN on Thursday that "there's no magic drug" now.The number of reports of positive tests has gone from a few thousand on Sunday to more than 13,000 as more people are infected and more people with Covid-19 find out through testing they have the disease.In a news briefing Thursday, President Donald Trump said he had pushed the US Food and Drug Administration to eliminate barriers to getting therapeutics to coronavirus patients. Trump said the antimalarial drug chloroquine and its analog hydroxychloroquine would be available by prescription to treat the novel coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the two drugs would be made available but there needs to be way to see how safe they are and whether they work to inhibit coronavirus."What the President was saying is that we're going to look at all of these drugs and we're going to try to get them available in the context of some sort of protocol," he said, referring to a trial period, on CNN's "Coronavirus: Fact and Fears" town hall special.The doctor wanted to make sure Americans know there are no proven safe and effective therapies as of today."That doesn't mean that we're not going to do everything we can to make things that have even a hint of efficacy more readily available," Fauci told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. "But there's no magic drug out there right now."Concerns over supplies While an increased flow of testing kits was welcomed, there is concern about whether communities have enough medical supplies -- New York's mayor said they may run out of some items within a few weeks.A former firefighter and a retired magician are among people who've died from coronavirus in the US"Tens of thousands" of tests are being conducted every day, Vice President Mike Pence said in a White House briefing. The administration faced criticism in recent days for being unable to say exactly how many people in the US had been tested. "Testing is available in all 50 states," the vice president said. "It is becoming increasingly available literally every hour of the day." Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the "dramatic increases in the number of new cases" was "based on our ability to test additional people." The number of cases will continue to rise over the next two or three days, she said, as health officials clear testing backlogs. "The number of test positives are increasing," Birx said. "That is a dramatically important signature that everyone is doing their job." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN in an interview Thursday morning that 8,000 tests were done in his state overnight. Later in the evening, officials reported New York state had 5,298 coronavirus cases -- an increase of about 2,300 since late Wednesday. "When you do 8,000 tests," the governor said, "the numbers are going to go up exponentially." More than 2,700 new cases were reported in the US in 24 hours between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. At least 13,133 people across the country have tested positive for the virus, as of Thursday evening. At least 193 have died. But as the number of cases grows, so does the burden on health officials across the country. Many communities are already grappling with shortages of medical equipment, with some attempting to fill the gaps on their own. Hospital patient warns others to be seriousKevin Harris has been in hospital for about two weeks. He believes coronavirus nearly killed him and it was through God's grace that he is getting better.Shelter in place, self-isolation, quarantine: What the terms mean and how they differ When he sees people out celebrating St. Patrick's Day or partying with other spring breakers it upsets him.The 55-year-old from Warren, Ohio, told CNN's Erin Burnett he hopes those people don't get infected and they take the next few months to avoid interacting with others."These people have to take this serious," he said. "I know you're going to be inconvenienced for a while with social distancing. However, do you want to be socially dead?"Sewing masks togetherIn southwest Georgia, hospitals are left with three days' worth of masks, Scott Steiner, president & CEO of Phoebe Putney Health System, told CNN. "We have gone through five months, now six months' worth of supplies in less than a week," he said. "And we are scrambling."Used face masks and bandanas: How the CDC is warning hospitals to prepare for coronavirus shortagesTo get the supply to last longer, Steiner said a team of staff members are sewing masks together."We have about 3,000 of these made. We believe we can make 200,000 of them," he said. "It will take a few weeks, but this is kind of what we're having to do because we don't know when the next shipment is coming."Similar stories of DIY supplies have been pouring in from across the country. "We literally were down to under half a day's worth of personal protective equipment," Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, the chief clinical officer and executive vice president of Providence St. Joseph Health, a system of more than 50 hospitals that provides services across seven US states, said Wednesday. "We've been virtually desperate, looking under every nook and cranny, trying to find the equipment we need. "A mom and a minister are recovering from coronavirus. One of them barely felt sickThose hospitals typically together go through 250,000 masks a year, she said. In three months this year, a single hospital has gone through the same amount."The increased demand has just far outstripped supply," Compton-Phillips said. So hospitals are resorting to making their own equipment."We're actually going to put out (a) 100 million mask challenge with plans on how to build the masks as well as design so you can make it at home. Because we need to do something. And we know the global supply chain is just tied up right now," she said. State measures to combat shortagesNew York City is two to three weeks away from running out of some medical supplies, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. He said Thursday that the city needs 3 million N95 masks, 50 million surgical masks and 15,000 ventilators. Additionally, the city needs 25 million surgical gowns, coveralls, gloves and face masks.Officials in King County, Washington, on Wednesday said they are setting up a temporary hospital on a soccer field that will provide the county an additional 200 medical beds. Health officials estimated the county needs about 3,000 more beds.Health officials in Washington state said they would be setting up medical beds in a soccer field.Meanwhile, Maryland health officials were working to increase their number of beds by at least 6,000, and in New York state, Gov. Cuomo said they would need as many as 110,000 beds when the virus peaks in an estimated 45 days.Some of the demand for beds will be alleviated by Carnival Cruises, which the President said would provide ships to be used as temporary hospitals. According to the cruise line, this could provide 1,000 hospital beds and up to seven intensive care units per ship.Beds aren't the only concern. The state has a capacity of 3,000 ventilators, but Cuomo said that's not enough.Hospitals and doctors' offices battling coronavirus are running out of protective gear, so some are making their own"They all talk about flattening the curve," he told CNN's Chris Cuomo earlier this week. "I don't see a curve. I see a wave. And the wave is going to break on the health care system and ... it is going to be a tsunami."Michael Dowling, president and CEO of the Northwell Health, was picked by New York's governor to lead a hospital surge team. He said he wants to purchase as many as 500 ventilators, which can cost $20,000 to $40,000 a machine.But with an abruptly heightened demand for ventilators, manufacturers say it's hard to keep up. "It is more than we can currently provide," said Kathrin Elsner, team leader of MarCom Ventilators at Hamilton Medical Inc. The company has received hundreds of orders and requests within the past few weeks, Elsner said.CNN's Sarah Moon, Jamie Gumbrecht, Michael Nedelman, Mark Morales, and Athena Jones contributed to this report.	2health
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)The Amazon rainforest may be nearing a critical tipping point that could see the biologically rich and diverse ecosystem transformed into a grassy savannah. The fate of the rainforest is crucial to the health of the planet because it is home to a unique array of animal and plant life, stores a huge amount of carbon and strongly influences global weather patterns.Scientists say that about three quarters of the rainforest is showing signs of "resilience loss" -- a reduced ability to recover from disturbances like droughts, logging and fires. Their study is based on month-to-month observations of satellite data from the past 20 years that has mapped the biomass (the area's organic material ) and the greenness of the forest to show how it has changed in response to fluctuating weather conditions.This decreasing resilience since the early 2000s is a warning sign of irreversible decline, the authors said. While it isn't possible to tell exactly when the transition from rainforest to savannah might happen, once it was obvious, it would be too late to stop. 'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeaways"It's worth reminding ourselves that if it gets to that tipping point and we commit to losing the Amazon rainforest, then we get a significant feedback to global climate change," Timothy M. Lenton, one of the authors of a new study and a director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, told a news briefing. Read More"We lose about 90 billion tons of carbon dioxide mostly in the trees but also the soil (of the Amazon)," Lenton said. If the Amazon is no longer a rainforest, it won't store as much carbon.Aerial view showing a boat speeding on the Jurura river in the municipality of Carauari, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon Forest, on March 15, 2020. Previous studies based on computer simulations have reached similar conclusions about an ecological point of no return for the Amazon rainforest -- but the authors said their research, published in Nature Climate Change on Monday, used real world observations. Once we reach the tipping point, the authors said the rainforest could disappear fairly quickly. "My hunch, for what it's worth, (is that) it could happen in the space of decades," Lenton said.The study found that loss of resilience was most stark in areas closer to human activity as well as those that received less rainfall. The study also noted that loss of resilience does not equate to a loss in the area of forest cover -- meaning that the rainforest could be close to the point of no return without clearly determinable changes. The climate crisis is messing with birds' body shapesChantelle Burton, a senior climate scientist at the Met Office Hadley Centre in the UK, said that there had been a question mark over how the Amazon rainforest would stand up to the challenges of climate change, land-use change and fires. She said this new study was "really important.""What this study does is offer some observational-based evidence for what is already happening to this significant carbon sink, and shows that human land-use and changes to weather and climate patterns are already driving an important change in the system," Burton, who wasn't involved in the research, told the Science Media Centre in London. "Passing a tipping point of this kind would make it even more difficult to achieve our goal of Net Zero emissions globally because of the loss of the "free service" provided by the Amazon carbon sink which currently removes some of our emissions."Richard Allan, a professor of climate science at the University of Reading, said the study was a "a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the durability of the Amazon.""It reaches the tantalising conclusion that much of the Amazon is showing signs that it may be approaching a tipping point towards irreversible decline; but because multiple satellite sensors are used to infer the 'lushness' of the vegetation, we need to be sure those data records are showing accurate trends," Allan was quoted by the SMC statement as saying."In any case, it is undeniable that human activities are waging a war of attrition from multiple sides against the natural world, though thankfully in this case the solutions are known: to cease deforestation while rapidly and massively cutting greenhouse gas emissions."	3news
Story highlightsThe lashings are scheduled to be doled out 50 at a time, for 20 weeksWatchdog: Whipping man for sharing ideas sends "ugly message of intolerance"Raif Badawi has been in prison since 2012, charged with insulting Islam (CNN)Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court upheld a sentence of 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes for blogger Raif Badawi, his sister, Samar Badawi, said Monday.Badawi's sister went to the Jeddah court Monday to follow up on a local media report that an appeal was denied. There, she received confirmation from the court that the sentence was upheld. Badawi who has been imprisoned since 2012, was charged with violating Saudi Arabia's information technology law and insulting Islam through his website "Saudi Arabian Liberals." The lashings are to be carried out 50 lashes at a time, 20 weeks in a row. Badawi endured the first 50 of the 1,000 lashes stoically in January, arching his back in pain. The flogging provoked an outcry from human rights groups and U.S. officials."Publicly lashing a peaceful activist merely for expressing his ideas sends an ugly message of intolerance," Human Rights Watch said at the time.Read MoreAnd Said Boumedouha, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East, called for Badawi's immediate release.JUST WATCHEDSaudi Blogger becomes a human rights icon ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSaudi Blogger becomes a human rights icon 06:11"Raif Badawi is a prisoner of conscience; his only 'crime' was to exercise his right to freedom of expression by setting up a website for public discussion," Boumedouha said in a statement.In a statement posted on the Amnesty website, Badawi's wife, Ensaf Haidar, called for the sentence to be lifted."Raif told me he is in a lot of pain," Haidar said. "He said that when he was being flogged he took the pain silently and rose above it, so that history will know that he did not react to their punishment. His health is poor and he cannot take another round of lashes."U.S. officials have called on Saudi officials to withdraw the sentence and review Badawi's case.On his "Saudi Arabian Liberals" site, Badawi, hosted political debates and advocated secularism, which he said "respects everyone and does not offend anyone."Amnesty reported that eight days after the initial flogging, doctors determined that Badawi had not healed sufficiently to be flogged for the second time. The lashes have been postponed at least three times."A medical committee of around eight doctors carried out a series of tests on Raif on 21 January at a Jeddah hospital, and found that wounds sustained from the 50 lashes dealt to him by Saudi officials nearly a fortnight before hadn't healed enough for him to be lashed again without serious risk to Raif's health," the rights group said.CNN's Zahraa Alkhalisi and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.	3news
(CNN)On a typical year, the Golden Globe Awards serve as the gold standard for tipsy fun. But this is not a typical year for Hollywood's quirkiest award show.Still, even as the Globes serve a time out as The Hollywood Foreign Press Association works to repair its reputation, there is no break being taken from recognizing the best films and television of the year.In a toned down, untelevised presentation, the winners of the Golden Globes were announced Sunday night. A full list of nominees follows below with winners indicated in bold.TelevisionRead MoreBest Performance by an Actor in a Television Series -- Musical or ComedyAnthony Anderson, "Black-ish"Nicholas Hoult, "The Great"Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building"Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building"Jason Sudeikis, "Ted Lasso" WINNERBest Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- Musical or ComedyHannah Einbender, "Hacks"Elle Fanning, "The Great"Issa Rae, "Insecure"Tracee Ellis Ross, "black-ish"Jean Smart, "Hacks" WINNERBest Performance by an Actor in a Television Series -- DramaBrian Cox, "Succession"Lee Jung-jae, "Squid Game"Billy Porter, "Pose"Jeremy Strong, "Succession" WINNEROmar Sy, "Lupin"Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- DramaUzo Aduba, "In Treatment"Jennifer Aniston, "The Morning Show"Christine Baranski, "The Good Fight"Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"Mj Rodriguez, "Pose" WINNERBest Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionPaul Bettany, "WandaVision"Oscar Isaac, "Scenes From a Marriage"Michael Keaton, "Dopesick" WINNEREwan McGregor, "Halston"Tahar Rahim, "The Serpent"Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionJessica Chastain, "Scenes From a Marriage"Cynthia Erivo, "Genius: Aretha"Elizabeth Olsen, "WandaVision"Margaret Qualley, "Maid" Kate Winslet, "Mare of Easttown" WINNERBest Television Series Drama"Lupin""The Morning Show""Pose""Squid Game""Succession" WINNERBest Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television"Dopesick""Impeachment: American Crime Story""Maid""Mare of Easttown""The Underground Railroad" WINNERBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionJennifer Coolidge, "White Lotus"Kaitlyn Dever, "Dopesick"Andie MacDowell, "Maid"Sarah Snook, "Succession" WINNERHannah Waddingham, "Ted Lasso"Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionBilly Crudup, "The Morning Show"Kieran Culkin, "Succession"Mark Duplass, "The Morning Show"Brett Goldstein, "Ted Lasso"Oh Yeong-su, "Squid Game" WINNERBest Television Series -- Musical or Comedy"The Great""Hacks" WINNER"Only Murders in the Building""Reservation Dogs""Ted Lasso"FILMBest Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy"Cyrano""Don't Look Up""Licorice Pizza""Tick, Tick ... Boom!""West Side Story" WINNERBest Motion Picture -- Drama"Belfast,""CODA""Dune" "King Richard" "The Power of the Dog" WINNERBest Motion Picture -- Foreign Language"Compartment No. 6" "Drive My Car" WINNER"The Hand of God" "A Hero" "Parallel Mothers"Best Screenplay -- Motion PicturePaul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast" WINNERJane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"Adam McKay, "Don't Look Up"Aaron Sorkin , "Being the Ricardos"Best Original Song -- Motion Picture"Be Alive" from "King Richard" - Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson "Dos Orugitas" from "Encanto" - Lin-Manuel Miranda "Down to Joy" from "Belfast" - Van Morrison "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" from "Respect" - Jamie Alexander Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King "No Time to Die" from "No Time to Die" - Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell WINNERBest Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion PictureBen Affleck, "The Tender Bar"Jamie Dornan, "Belfast"Ciarán Hinds, "Belfast"Troy Kotsur, "CODA"Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog" WINNERBest Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion PictureCaitríona Balfe, "Belfast"Ariana DeBose, "West Side Story" WINNERKirsten Dunst, "The Power of the Dog"Aunjanue Ellis, "King Richard"Ruth Negga, "PassingBest Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or ComedyLeonardo DiCaprio, "Don't Look Up" Peter Dinklage, "Cyrano"Andrew Garfield, "Tick, Tick ... Boom!" WINNERCooper Hoffman, "Licorice Pizza"Anthony Ramos, "In the Heights"Best Motion Picture -- Animated"Encanto" WINNER"Flee""Luca""My Sunny Maad""Raya and the Last Dragon"Best Actor in a Motion Picture -- DramaMahershala Ali, "Swan Song"Javier Bardem, "Being the Ricardos"Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Power of the Dog"Will Smith, "King Richard" WINNERDenzel Washington, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- DramaJessica Chastain, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"Olivia Colman, "The Lost Daughter"Nicole Kidman, "Being the Ricardos" WINNERLady Gaga, "House of Gucci"Kristen Stewart, "Spencer"Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or ComedyMarion Cotillard, "Annette"Alana Haim, "Licorice Pizza"Jennifer Lawrence, "Don't Look Up"Emma Stone, "Cruella"Rachel Zegler, "West Side Story" WINNERBest Director -- Motion PictureKenneth Branagh, "Belfast"Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog" WINNERMaggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"Steven Spielberg, "West Side Story"Denis Villeneuve, "Dune" Best Original Score"The French Dispatch""Encanto""The Power of the Dog""Parallel Mothers""Dune" *WINNER	1entertainment
Moscow (CNN)At least one person was killed after Russia's only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, caught fire on Thursday morning during repair work in Russia's Arctic Sea port of Murmansk, according to Russian state news agencies. A further 10 people were injured and two are missing, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Footage of the fire onboard aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznestov shows black smoke rising above the decks of the ship.According 🇷🇺# Russian state news agencies,one worker remains unaccounted for.The same wires suggest the fire is spreading and now covers 600 sq metres of the ship. pic.twitter.com/H840i8uwhI— Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) December 12, 2019 The fire broke out as welders were working during maintenance in the first power unit. A thick plume of black smoke was seen from the upper deck.The area affected by smoke and fire covers 120 square meters (1,292 square feet), TASS said.Admiral Kuznetsov, a ski-jump type aircraft carrier, is the Russian navy's largest warship and its sole aircraft carrier. Read MoreThe warship made its first combat deployment in 2016, in the Mediterranean Sea, when its fighter jets delivered strikes in Syria.But the carrier has had problems since its return to Russia for maintenance.Admiral Kuznetsov passes through the English Channel in October 2016 on its way to the Mediterranean.Last October, a crane fell on it during the repair work, gouging a hole in its deck.The accident took place after a power supply disruption caused the pumps on the floating dry dock, which was holding the aircraft carrier, to break down, causing the structure to sink.The dock, known as PD-50, was one of the world's largest floating dry docks and the biggest in Russia, measuring 330 meters long (1,082 feet) and weighing more than 80,000 tons.Following the disruption, PD-50 quickly became submerged, causing two cranes to fall onto the deck of the Russian vessel, leaving a hole measuring 4 meters by 5 meters (13 feet by 16.4 feet), state-run media Sputnik said.After that accident, Russian officials told state media the damage would not delay repairs on the Admiral Kuznetsov, which were due to be completed by 2021.The Kuznetsov accident is at least the second deadly fire for Russia's navy this year. In July, a fire aboard a Russian deepwater submersible killed 14 crew. The submariners died from smoke inhalation after a blaze broke out on the craft, which was carrying out research in Russian territorial waters, according to TASS.Russia later said details of that accident were a "state secret" and released no further information.	3news
(CNN)When NASA's Perseverance rover begins surveying the Martian surface in the coming months, the robotic explorer will be searching for signs of ancient life. Then, "Percy," as she's known to her team on Earth, will actually collect those samples, and future missions will return them to Earth.Perseverance is NASA's first true astrobiology mission in the search for evidence of life on another planet in our solar system.The rover is looking for clues that will help answer a question that has intrigued humans for millennia: Is there life beyond Earth?New Mars image from rover landing site shows the red planet in high definitionWhile samples from Mars could reveal the planet's past, future missions to other intriguing worlds in our solar system could illuminate something else. In 2017, NASA announced that ocean worlds, like Saturn's moons of Titan and Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa, may be the most likely places to find life beyond Earth. Two missions are scheduled to launch this decade to explore Titan and Europa in an effort to understand if these intriguing worlds could host life within their subsurface oceans and reservoirs. Europa Clipper is set to launch in 2024, while Dragonfly is slated for 2027. Read More"Perseverance will get people thinking in terms of astrobiology and the strategy of looking for signs of past life," said Jorge Núñez, astrobiologist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who is working on teams for both Perseverance and Dragonfly. "Missions to outer planets, like Europa and Dragonfly, will take a lot of time. But we have to be open to what we might be able to find in terms of possibilities for life. These missions are part of this strategy in trying to understand how environments evolve. Is life a more common thing, or is it rare? And what is out there?"Searching for ancient fossils on MarsCurrently, Mars seems like an inhospitable place for humans -- and its global dust storms haven't been too kind to previous rovers, either. The planet is a frozen desert with a thin atmosphere. It's hard to imagine life existing there.However, 3.9 billion years ago, it was a different story.Jezero Crater, where Perseverance has landed, was once filled with water and may have been surrounded by white sandy beaches, as indicated by a "bathtub ring" of minerals left behind in the dry lake bed today. A river delta fed in to one side of the lake and another river channel of overflow from the lake emerged on the other side. For the next two years, Perseverance will traverse the crater floor and river delta, studying rocks, minerals and dirt and their chemical compositions. Microfossils of ancient microbial life could be trapped inside of them. "We study the formation, preservation and detection of signs of life and planetary evolution in geologic samples," said astrobiologist Ken Williford, the deputy project scientist for the Perseverance rover. NASA shares first video and audio, new images from Mars Perseverance rover "The instruments on rover missions are sort of portable versions of instruments we have in labs like mine and other labs that work on ancient rocks and measure the chemistry and shapes preserved in them," added Williford, who is also the director for the abcLab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The "abc" in abcLab is short for astrobiogeochemistry.Rocks are a wealth of information, preserving notes from when they were formed. They include clues about chemistry, climate change and if organisms were present.While much of the lab work focuses on Earth, this approach can also be used to interpret possible signs of life elsewhere, like Mars. Using Perseverance's advanced suite of instruments and cameras, the science team on Earth will have their best look yet at rocks on Mars that could reveal the planet's past. In this illustration, Perseverance uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars."We're looking for lifelike compositions and shapes that occur together," Williford said. "Carbon-based life is made of organic matter. They fossilize, get buried, squished and squeezed and turned into organic goo like oil or coal."This goo ends up in rocks, so "ancient organic matter may be the very old bodies of Martian microbes," he said. Scientists aren't expecting to find fossils like those belonging to dinosaurs on Mars, but microbial life is a much better possibility if it ever existed on Mars. Just look at Earth. Microbial life existed for a long time before more complex types of life evolved. In Earth's earliest fossil record, scientists study fossilized pond scum rather than bones or shells. Fossilized pond scum is basically a group of photosynthetic bacteria that stuck to sediment, forming microbial mats. After the water in their environment dries up, the minerals are left behind and entomb those microbes, forming stromatolites. Rocks along the shoreline of Lake Salda in Turkey were formed by microbes that trap minerals and sediments in the water. Stromatolites are the oldest fossils on Earth. These layered rocks can be traced back 3.5 billion years ago. "It would be exciting if we find wrinkly layers of rock that looks like stromatolites on Mars," Williford said. Williford is most excited for Perseverance to explore the edges of the ancient lake, where water met land. "Every boundary is important," he said. "Life loves to live at interfaces, where there is disequilibrium and things are a little out of balance. Life thrives at those areas and hopes to put them into balance."Even if NASA researchers use Perseverance's instruments to measure the chemical composition and patterns of the rocks and then find suggestions that life may have been involved in the formation of them, these are only potential biosignatures.This stromatolite formed about 2.7 billion years ago and was collected from an ancient lake environment preserved in rocks in Western Australia. Layers can be seen within the stromatolite.Returning samples of them to Earth and studying them with bigger, better and more powerful instruments in environments like the abcLab is the best way to confirm evidence of past life on Mars, if it ever existed, Williford said. This illustration shows the samples collected by Persevernace leaving Mars so they can return to Earth.Much like when the first lunar samples were returned to Earth in 1969 following the successful landing of the Apollo 11 mission, returning samples from Mars will lead to a "transformative scientific revolution," he said. On the wings of Dragonfly and Europa ClipperThe Dragonfly mission won't reach Titan until 2035, given the extraordinary distance between Earth and Saturn, but it's worth the wait. Dragonfly will be a rover-size drone that flies through Titan's thick atmosphere to observe the moon's diverse environments, which include a subsurface liquid water ocean, as well as clouds, rain, rivers and lakes composed of methane. Titan is the only moon with a thick atmosphere, which is four times more dense than Earth's. The moon is also rich in organic material, which falls from the atmosphere like snow on the plains.The icy moon has an average surface temperature of negative 290 degrees Fahrenheit. This illustration shows NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft-lander on Titan.Scientists know that complex organics are present on Titan, but how much did this prelife chemistry progress? There are building blocks of life on Titan that are very similar to what was once present on Earth before life began. "Titan is similar to Earth in the sense that it has an atmosphere and hydrological cycle but it's a cycle of natural gas, like methane and ethane," Núñez said. "But you still see similar features. Besides this organic chemistry right on surface, we have this atmosphere of natural gas. Reactions from the sun makes these chemicals that are more complex. Dragonfly is looking for prebiotic chemistry."Underneath the moon's icy shells is a liquid water ocean. Holes in the ice shell suggest that organics from the surface could be interacting in the water. These images from the Cassini mission show the many sides of Titan and its thick atmosphere.While life has expanded everywhere on Earth for billions of years, erasing just where life originated exactly, Titan is different."Titan is a natural laboratory that allows us to explore how that initial chemistry came into being," Núñez said. Europa is another icy moon possibly concealing a subsurface ocean, and Europa Clipper will explore if that ocean could harbor life. Across 45 planned flybys of Europa, the spacecraft will eventually move from 1,700 miles from the surface to just 16 miles above it.The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter to study Europa and carry nine instruments, including cameras and ice-penetrating radar, to study the moon's ice shell and ocean. Previous missions have spied plumes erupting up through the ice shell. "Europa is the most likely place to find life in our solar system today because we think there's a liquid water ocean beneath its surface, and we know on Earth everywhere that there's water we find life," said Robert Pappalardo, mission project scientist, in a NASA video."Could Europa have the ingredients to support life? If there is life in Europa, it almost certainly was completely independent from the origin of life on Earth. That would mean the origin of life must be pretty easy throughout the galaxy and beyond."If the plumes captured in images by the Hubble Space Telescope are truly sending columns of water high into space, "then we could fly through those plumes with a spacecraft and literally taste it to understand the composition of Europa's interior," he said. Europa is so intriguing because life could potentially still be present. "We might be actually looking at a body that is presently alive, presently active and presently undergoing its geology," said Claudia Alexander, Galileo mission project manager between 1999 to 2003, in a NASA video."There is too much evidence right now lying around on the surface, the red stuff, that suggests something's going on there. Is that an environment that is habitable for any sort of life form? We'll have enough instrumentation to really pinpoint exactly how the mechanisms would work for replenishing the nutrients in a subsurface ocean."	3news
(CNN)Former Wallabies player Israel Folau, who was embroiled in controversy after an anti-gay post on social media, has returned to rugby union after agreeing to sign for NTT Communications Shining Arcs, the Japanese outfit said on Monday.In 2019, Folau reached a settlement with Rugby Australia after being sacked for an Instagram post in which he said "hell awaits" gay people.He also suggested that Australia's bushfires and droughts in 2019 were punishments from God for the country's same-sex and abortion laws.Israel Folau remains standing as other players take a knee on Super League's returnA devout Christian, Folau made 73 appearances for Australia's rugby union side but switched back to rugby league last year, signing for Super League side Catalans Dragons.The move was strongly condemned from both within the rugby world and in wider society. Read MoreThe Rugby Football League -- the sport's governing body -- said allowing the signing had been a "difficult decision" and deplored the player's previous comments.Folau's new side, NTT Communications Shining Arcs, play in Japan's Top League. It comes a week after Folau resumed his career in Australia, registering to play for amateur rugby league club Southport Tigers, according to Reuters.	5sport
Story highlightsTottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid agree transfer of Luka ModricThe Croatia playmaker will undergo a medical before signing a five-year contractModric arrived at Spurs from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 and has played 160 games for the clubA new partnership between the two teams has also been announcedEnglish Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid reached an agreement for the highly-anticipated transfer of Luka Modric on Monday, with the Croatia playmaker set to sign a five-year deal with Spanish champions.Modric will undergo a medical before becoming Real coach Jose Mourinho's first signing since the 2011 August transfer window for a reported fee of $50 million.The two clubs also announced a partnership which will see them work together with players, coaching, best practices and commercial activities.Are footballers on a par with bankers?"The strong relationship and affinity between our two clubs has resulted in the cementing of a longer-term partnership and the successful transfer of Luka Modric," Real president Florentino Perez said in a joint statement on the London team's website."We are delighted to welcome Luka and look forward to working closely with Tottenham in the coming years."JUST WATCHEDFinancial fair play too late for some?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFinancial fair play too late for some? 02:52JUST WATCHEDCan AC Milan rebuild this season? ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCan AC Milan rebuild this season? 02:54JUST WATCHEDFrench football club spends bigReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFrench football club spends big 02:45Modric made 160 appearances for Spurs, scoring 17 goals, after joining from Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 for a fee of $26 million which equaled the club's transfer record.The 26-year-old was named Tottenham's player of the season in 2010-11 and was linked with moves to Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea -- he wanted to join the latter before the start of last season but was persuaded to stay.With Tottenham failing to qualify for the Champions League despite finishing fourth last season, thanks to Chelsea's European triumph, new manager Andre Villas-Boas had been resigned to Modric's departure -- and the midfielder's performances at Euro 2012 enhanced his value."Luka has been a terrific player for us," said Spurs chairman Daniel Levy."Whilst we preferred not to part with him we are pleased that it is to Real Madrid, a club with which we now look forward to sharing a long and productive partnership."Real will hope Modric's imminent arrival can provide an upturn in fortunes. The nine-time European champions lost 2-1 to Madrid rivals Getafe on Sunday, following a 1-1 draw with Valencia on La Liga's opening weekend.Los Blancos also suffered a 3-2 defeat against archrivals Barcelona -- who top the early-season standings after two wins -- in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup last week.The second leg will take place at Madrid's Bernabeu on Wednesday.	5sport
(CNN)Caroline Wozniacki has announced her plans to retire from professional tennis.The former world No. 1 said Friday that her final tournament will be the Australian Open next month. It's the site where she won her lone grand slam singles title, which came against then-top-ranked Simona Halep in 2018.Known for her defense, Wozniacki also reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014."I've played professionally since I was 15 years old," the 29-year-old Dane wrote in an Instagram post. "In that time I've experienced an amazing first chapter of my life."With 30 WTA singles titles, a world #1 ranking for 71 weeks, a WTA Finals victory, 3 Olympics, including carrying the flag for my native Denmark, and winning the 2018 Australian Open Grand slam championship, I've accomplished everything I could ever dream of on the court."Read MoreShe was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018, but the decision to call it a career "has nothing to do with my health," Wozniacki said."I feel healthy. I feel good. Maybe I'll run another marathon. Who knows?" Wozniacki said on ABC's "Good Morning America." She ran the New York City Marathon in 2014.Wozniacki, who married former NBA player David Lee this year, said in her Instagram post, "I've always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it's time to be done."In recent months, I've realized that there is a lot more in life that I'd like to accomplish off the court. Getting married to David was one of those goals and starting a family with him while continuing to travel the world and helping raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis (project upcoming) are all passions of mine moving forward."Wozniacki currently is ranked 37th in the world.	5sport
(CNN)Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory of the season as he capitalized on Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc's loss of power in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix."Oh my God," exclaimed Leclerc, who had led for most of the race, as he realized his engine problems would cost him the chance of claiming his maiden grand prix success.Hamilton claimed the win under the safety car ahead of Mercedes teammate Valterri Bottas, who won the season-opener in Australia, with Leclerc taking third.Bottas leads the drivers' standing with 44 points, one point ahead of Hamilton, with Verstappen in third on 27 points.Leclerc had led for most of the race."I had a plastic bag stuck on my front wing at some point, which was costing performance," the championship leader revealed after the race.Read More"So not the perfect race but in the end, luck was on our side and we'll definitely take it -- especially me, after all the bad luck last year. "Obviously hard luck for Charles, he was very strong -- but it will come for him. I had to wait for more than 80 races for my first win, so I'm sure it's going to be okay."READ: Leclerc's brother to test drive with Formula EHamilton praises LeclercLeclerc, who started the race in pole, was hit by engine problems when his car's hybrid system failed. He'd been eight seconds ahead of Hamilton at one stage, but the Briton quickly closed as Leclerc's Ferrari faltered before sweeping past the 21-year-old Monegasque's Ferrari.It was a sign of the youngster's maturity to acknowledge the team being "lucky in a very unlucky situation," recognizing that he would have finished even lower down the grid had the race not ended under the safety car for just the eighth time in F1 history."It happens," Leclerc told reporters after the race. "It's part of motor sport. It's a very hard one to take, but I am sure we will come back stronger."Unfortunately today it was not our day, but I am confident. The team has done an amazing job to recover the lack of pace we had in Australia."What to say? Of course I'm extremely disappointed, like the whole team, but it happens in the seasons."The good news for Leclerc is that he took his first podium finish in F1, while also scoring a point for recording the fastest lap. At the moment he's also looking the more effective Ferrari driver. READ: Jackie Stewart's wife has dementia and he's racing to find a cureFour-time champion Sebastian Vettel damaged the front wing of his Ferrari as he went wheel-to-wheel with Hamilton."You drove brilliantly, really great, this weekend -- you have a long future ahead," Hamilton told Leclerc. "This weekend the Ferraris have been incredible and I just had to see Charles because he did such a great job. "I'm sure this is a devastating result for him as he had done the job to win the race. We were definitely lucky today but you have to take it as it comes. "This guy here [Leclerc] has lots more wins coming in the future so congratulations to him.""As a team, we got lucky today," added Bottas.	5sport
Story highlights16 people were killed in the suicide bombing in the Maelbeek metro station16 were killed at the airport in twin bombings an hour earlierBrussels (CNN)An order to close the Brussels metro ahead of the deadly March terror attacks on the network failed to reach relevant authorities, in part because an email from Belgian federal police was sent to the wrong address, a parliamentary commission has heard.The commission, established to investigate the March 22 bombings and whether they could have been prevented, heard this week that the senior police official in charge of Brussels' metro networks first learned more than an hour before the deadly bombing at Maelbeek metro station that the explosions at the city's airport were a terror attack.JUST WATCHEDSource: Paris, Brussels attackers eyed Euro 2016 ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSource: Paris, Brussels attackers eyed Euro 2016 02:11At 8:03 a.m. local time -- five minutes after the twin blasts at Brussels' Zavantem airport that killed 16 -- Jo Decuyper, chief of railway police for the Brussels region, was informed by military sources at the airport that the blasts were suicide bombings, the commission heard.A third attacker struck the Maelbeek metro station in central Brussels at 9:11 a.m., killing 16 others.ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. Read MoreBrussels airport suicide bomber identified as ISIS jailerOrder to close sent at 8.50 a.m.The commission heard that a federal alert was issued by Belgium's Federal Crisis Center at 8:50 a.m., including an order to close the metro and the main railway stations in Brussels -- but it never reached the relevant authorities. JUST WATCHEDA memorial inside Brussels' Maelbeek metro stationReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHA memorial inside Brussels' Maelbeek metro station 01:10Seventeen minutes later, at 9:07 a.m., federal police sent Decuyper an email ordering the closure of the Brussels metro network until noon, the commission heard.But, Decuyper told the commission, it was sent to his personal email address, and he did not see the message until after the attacks.Even if he had seen the message, it would have made no difference, as "at least 30 minutes" were needed to evacuate the metro network, he told the commission.It was only after the explosion at 9:11 a.m. that the station was closed and the network evacuated.Maelbeek station reopened on April 25.Healing after terror: Brussels airport departure lounge reopensParis, Brussels attacks linked, say investigatorsInvestigators say the same ISIS network was behind the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, and the Brussels suicide bombings.JUST WATCHEDSee 'the man in the hat's' hideoutReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee 'the man in the hat's' hideout 01:58The Belgian prosecutor said last month that the network initially planned to strike again in France but changed its target when French investigators appeared to be closing in on those responsible for the Paris attacks.The Brussels bombings took place four days after the arrest in the city of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris attacks. The Belgian-born French citizen is currently facing charges in a Paris court of participation in terrorist murder, and taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization.Swedish citizen Ossama Krayem has been charged in connection with both the Brussels and Paris attacks, with a Belgian prosecutor calling him "omnipresent" during the planning of both plots.Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian-Moroccan who was arrested in Brussels last month, has also been linked to both attacks. Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Brussels attacks suspects: What we knowHide Caption 6 of 6	3news
London (CNN)Britain's Prince William is following in the footsteps of his gaffe-prone grandfather, Prince Philip, confusing Japanese food with Chinese food during a public appearance on Thursday. At the opening of the Japan House cultural center in London's Kensington, near Buckingham Palace, Prince William chatted to school students learning how to use chopsticks, according to footage broadcast in British media. That awkward moment when you make a mistake and the entire room is listening 👑😱🇯🇵🥢🇨🇳https://t.co/0ANspo1H9d pic.twitter.com/EIa6Qp1fiH— ITV News (@itvnews) September 13, 2018 "Have you guys had much Chinese food?" he asked them, only to be met with an awkward pause. Prince Philip: His public life in gaffes"Sorry, Japanese food. Have you had much Japanese food?" he said during a tour of Japan House, where he was accompanied by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso.It's the second time in six weeks that a British representative has confused the two countries, which have been rivals since the Japanese occupation of China during World War II and which continue to feud over disputed territory. Read MoreIn July, newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tried to impress officials in Beijing by talking about his Chinese wife, only to accidentally call her Japanese, in an embarrassing slip-up on his first mission abroad."My wife is Japanese," he said, before realizing his gaffe, and then adding "my wife is Chinese."Chef Akira Shimizu presents his signature bento box to Prince William.Prince William, who rarely slips up in his public appearances, made a success of the rest of his visit, sipping on some sake rice wine during a toast, and trying some "delicious and amazing" salmon sashimi prepared specially by famed chef Akira Shimizu, the Press Association reported. "My wife and I love sushi," he said. "We might have to come down here for lunch when there's no one else down."He added: "Just as long as you don't get people coming in and saying: 'I'll have a burger."'Prince William said he had been "deeply honored" to visit Japan in 2015, when he saw the "wonderful blend of ancient and modern which so characterizes your amazing country," PA reported.	3news
Story highlightsGenscher was an early advocate of detente when Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet leaderDeath comes two weeks after that of Guido Westerwelle, another former foreign ministerCurrent Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier: "We have lost a great German" (CNN)Former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who played a pivotal role in reuniting East and West Germany after the fall of communism, has died at the age of 89, according to his office.He served as the country's foreign minister for a record-setting 18 years, from 1974 to 1992, during which time he was an early advocate of pursuing detente with the Soviet Union when the country began to open up -- and, later, break apart -- under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev.And he was instrumental in Germany's reunification, which took place in 1990 -- the year following the fall of the Berlin Wall -- far sooner than anyone had initially anticipated.First #Westerwelle and now #Genscher ... I hate you, 2016. #RIP— Silke (@Skippy9474) April 1, 2016 He was an inveterate traveler as foreign minister, too. Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze once joked that whenever two planes crossed paths over the Atlantic, "Genscher is on both of them."Genscher remained an active and popular figure even after leaving office. And his death triggered an outpouring of emotion on social media.Read More"Rest in Peace Mr #Genscher. And thank you for everything. I wouldn't be, where I am now, w/out you. God bless!" one person tweeted.Rest in Peace Mr #Genscher . And thank you for everything. I wouldn't be, where I am now, w/out you. God bless!— malypaly (@jensmaly) April 1, 2016 Genscher's death comes just two weeks after the death of another former German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, who died on March 18 at the age of 54.The current German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is on a visit to Tajikistan, issued a tribute to his predecessor Friday."Over the course of his long and eventful life, Hans-Dietrich Genscher literally made history -- that of our country, Germany, and of Europe," Steinmeier said. "He is assured of a place in the history books. His lifelong task was to overcome the division of Germany and the rift in Europe."Hans-Dietrich Genscher was Germany's longest serving foreign minister. He was fortunate enough to play a role in German reunification, his life's great political goal, and to guide and support the completion of German unification during his own lifetime."We have lost a great German and a great European today."Follow @Don_Melvin CNN's Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report.	3news
(CNN)He might be known as the "Pep Guardiola" of African football, but Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane's mantra is one coined by the iconic Nelson Mandela."It always looks impossible until somebody does it," Mosimane tells CNN Sport. The 56-year-old coach is sitting in his office at the Cairo giants, with Al Ahly's famed red, black and white colors emblazoned on the walls around him.Mosimane won a record five league titles in seven years with South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, was part of the Bafana Bafana coaching staff at the inaugural FIFA World Cup hosted on the continent and became Al Ahly's first ever Black coach in 2020.He will now have an opportunity to prove his mettle to the world after leading the Egyptian outfit to the promised land of club football as Al Ahly is set to participate at FIFA's Club World Cup, which begins in Qatar on February 4, when it plays Al Duhail SC.If Al Ahly win that match, the Egyptian club will face Bayern Munich for a place in final. Bayern will be the favorite to win the semifinal, but expectations are always high at a club like Al Ahly, which says it has 60 million fans in the Arab world and has won 140 trophies.Pitso John Mosimane, coach of Al Ahly, looks on during the final match between Zamalek and Al Ahly at Cairo stadium on 27 November, 2020 in Cairo, Egypt. Read MoreMosimane grew up in apartheid South Africa, so he is understandably proud of his coaching achievements, given his humble roots. And it's Mandela's own legacy that rightly inspires him. "Have you ever thought, in our time, that South Africa can have a Black president as Nelson Mandela?" enthuses Mosimane as he reflects on the life of a man who was incarcerated for 27 years. "That is an amazing story."Mosimane himself has reached great heights, and his gilded touch has seen all of the club teams he's coached claim silverware. His proudest achievements came when he conquered the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League on two separate occasions -- firstly with Sundowns in 2016 and then Al Ahly four years later. "Can you believe that somebody from the township like me, from the background of apartheid, from the humble beginnings, can be the first person to win the Champions League in South Africa? And win it twice and become coach of the year on the continent," he says with almost a sense of disbelief.Al-Ahly player Hussein El Shahat (L) and head coach Pitso Mosimane (R) celebrate after winning the CAF Champions League final soccer match Zamalek vs Al-Ahly at Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, 27 November 2020.'Club of the century'Last season, Mosimane did what nobody in world football has achieved to date. He was a part of two teams that secured trebles in their respective countries. First, he won three trophies in South Africa, including the league, in what is widely regarded as the strongest African domestic competition.And then he followed this up with Al Ahly, leading it to the continental crown as it beat arch-rival Zamalek 2-1 in the CAF Champions League final.Al Ahly had in fact wrapped up the league title under René Weiler, who departed late in the season to be with his family in Switzerland, but Mosimane received a winner's medal as he took over the team for the final two league games of the campaign and then guided the Red Devils to another triumph in the Egyptian Cup. "Al Ahly is a club that demands success, and in Egypt and Africa, it's known as the club of the century," explained former Egyptian international turned pundit Yaser Elshanawany. "There's only one other club that's won more trophies than Al Ahly in the world and that's Real Madrid, so when you get this job there's lots of expectation.""From the people I've spoken to at the club, they all tell me technically he's very strong and knows how to analyze other teams. But he's really loved by the players and his staff because psychologically he knows how to connect with them, and build relationships with them," Elshanawany added. South Africa head coach Pitso Mosimane looks on during a South Africa training session at Sturrock Park on August 09, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mosimane masterminded Sundowns' 5-0 drubbing of the Red Devils in the 2019 CAF Champions League quarterfinals.It was a signature win that showcased Mosimane's ability and also persuaded Al Ahly that it didn't need to look outside the continent for a coach.One of Sundowns' stars over the last few years has been South African midfielder Hlompho Kekana. He has seen first hand what makes Mosimane the coach that he is, as he's been part of the Sundowns dynasty including that first CAF Champions League title. "Pitso is obsessed with the game, that's what gives him the edge," Kekana says. "He digs deeper than anyone I've worked with in football. "I'm not surprised to see his achievements. He's instilled that mentality with the players and we are told not to see football as just a career, but something that can change the world."We're more than just football players, and he's told us we can use football to get an education and we can uplift our own lives and those around us."Sundowns' coach Pitso Mosimane reacts after winning the CAF Champions League following the final between Zamalek and Mamelodi Sundowns on October 23, 2016 at the Borg el-Arab Stadium near Alexandria.Kekana also understands why there have been comparisons with two-time UEFA Champions League winner Guardiola, famed for the stylish, attacking football he's coached at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now Manchester City. "I've not met Pep, but I can see why they have similarities," says Kekana. "Both play a possession-based game, but are always looking for perfection. Pitso was always looking for us to win matches, but he always wanted us to go out and express ourselves within our structures, never to sit back. To press high and keep the pressure on, never to let off, play with high intensity" the Bafana Bafana player said. It's this type of philosophy that Al Ahly President and club great Mahmoud El Khatib had admired from afar, and when Weiler departed at short notice, "Bibo," as he's affectionately known, moved for Mosimane."He's a legend ... it's like having Kenny Dalglish becoming president of Liverpool," explains Mosimane, referring to the former Scot who played and managed the English club."His head was on the block for appointing the first sub-Saharan coach to lead Al Ahly ... Now, he's proven right. We won the trophy and everything is good."Head coach Pitso Mosimane of Mamelodi Sundowns holds the trophy as the team arrives at the Tambo Airport after they were crowned 2016 CAF Champions League champions, in Johannesburg, South Africa on October 26, 2016. 'Taken too long'Al Ahly hadn't won the CAF Champions League in seven years and had lost two of the previous three finals."So we need to take a different approach and let's get somebody who knows the continent -- who lives in it."Coaches from Egypt, Europe and South America had been previously appointed at Ah Ahly, but Mosimane was a step in a new direction -- the South African became the first Black and sub-Saharan to take charge of the Egyptian team.Mosimane admits it's probably "taken too long" for a Black coach to be appointed at the club, but said, "I don't want to dwell so much on why. But it has happened now. I'm the one. I'm the 'Chosen One.' And what brought me here was not a political movement."I was brought here because of the titles that I won because I've defeated Al Ahly twice and one of the top teams here in Zamalek. And they know me. They know my name ... it has nothing to do with color or politics."Despite Mosimane's trophy-laden season, he was not recognized by FIFA on its coach of the season shortlist, as Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp secured the prize for his sterling work with Liverpool as the Reds lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time -- the club's first domestic league title in 30 years."FIFA must also consider coaches outside of European nominees because these are world awards," said Mosimane of FIFA's Best Football Awards, suggesting that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could lobby the world governing body to create a more "inclusive" shortlist of coaches, players and clubs.Al-Ahly supporters celebrate in Cairo after their team beat Zamalek on 27 November 2020, Cairo, Egypt.Mosimane also referenced former Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus' success in the 2018/2019 season when he guided the Rio-based club to the Brazilian league title and also South America's prized club cup competition the Copa Libertadores, but was not recognized by FIFA for his success. "Jesus, he's the coach of Benfica now. He was the coach at Flamengo, he won lots of trophies and also deserved to be nominated. It's not just about me. But it's okay, we have to move on," added Mosimane. In response to Mosimane's criticism, FIFA said: "The shortlist of candidates for the awards was selected by two expert panels: one for women's football and one for men's football."The two expert panels include high profile representatives from all regions with the aim of ensuring that the awards reflect the views of world football. That being said, we appreciate Mr. Mosimane's comments as it is important that the protagonists express their views about the process."CNN did reach out to CAF for comment, but they did not respond to multiple requests."Our lives should not be about awards as coaches, we need to change people's lives," Mosimane says, backing up what Kekana had said about his former mentor.Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane oversees his team's training session in Cairo. 'Things do change' Mosimane's success has created a stir on the African continent and many have debated if he can be the first African to move from the continent to coach in one of Europe's major leagues."Is this a possibility? Yes," says Mosimane, before adding: "We have to be realistic to say Europe doesn't have a lot of African coaches. "I don't want to politicize this and make it a case of playing the race card, but some things need to be told as they are."But I just believe that a medical doctor who is from South Africa, is the same medical doctor who is in Europe. I believe an architect who has qualified in South Africa, is an architect in Europe. So I just don't understand when it comes to football coaching, why these things get looked at differently."I mean, you cannot tell me all these big players, African players, who won the Champions League in Europe, who are living there and none of those Africans can have an opportunity to coach."Maybe in our children's generation, things can change. Things do change ... But first, Europe must accept and give chances to the European-born Africans, before we can talk about getting a chance ... so it's a long way."Mosimane needs no reminding that apartheid lasted almost five decades in South Africa, or that Al Ahly took over 100 years to appoint their first Black coach.While he is realistic about getting an opportunity in the biggest leagues in the world, having survived apartheid and carved out success across the African continent, Mosimane draws strength from this: "Never, ever, ever underestimate a Black South African who comes from the township."And having seen what Mosimane's done, perhaps it's just a matter of time before the "Chosen One" shatters another glass ceiling.	5sport
(CNN)Augusta National is a sporting stage unlike any other. It is a place where tradition is valued above all else and the sacred Green Jacket, handed to the Masters winner each year, gives the golf major a familiarity that is unique in sport. But some of that familiarity will be broken this year, especially as the coronavirus pandemic precipitated a re-schedule from the tournament's usual April spot in the sporting calendar to November for the first time in its 86-year history. It's fitting perhaps that this Augusta first comes on the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest moments in Masters history when Seve Ballesteros became the first European to claim the most coveted prize in golf.Ballesteros gets the Masters green jacket from last year's winner, Fuzzy Zoeller, after winning the 1980 Masters.READ: Rahm skips ball across pond in amazing hole-in-one at the MastersRead MoreBeginnings Having turned professional in 1974, aged 16, Ballesteros' talent had been evident to European circles for a number of years, even before he announce himself on the world stage by claiming his first major title in 1979, winning The Open Championship at Royal Lytham."We in America got our first glimpse of Seve in 1976 when he finished runner-up in The Open at Birkdale," Ben Crenshaw, one of the pre-tournament favourites to claim the Green Jacket at Augusta in 1980, tells CNN Living Golf host, Shane O'Donoghue. "We could see this player, this handsome dashing player, who played with such verve and power ... it was like Arnold Palmer reincarnated on the coast of Spain." The confidence gleaned from his first Open Championship win, combined with his natural ability, meant Ballesteros was riding high ahead of the 1980 Masters.Just three weeks before, he had finished third at the PGA Tour's Players' Championship, a couple of strokes behind winner Lee Trevino. On the eve of the tournament, and celebrating his 23rd birthday, asked how he was feeling, he told the media: "I'm ready to go."READ: How Bryson DeChambeau is making rivals rethink their approach to golfBallesteros celebrates after winning the British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's in Lancashire, United Kingdom.A strong startBallesteros quikcly showed the Augusta patrons he meant business, putting together a near-faultless first round that left him tied for first place at six-under par. "At that point, he hadn't really played in the United States that much. So, what sort of surprised people was that he was able to just swashbuckle his way around in the way that he did," Crenshaw explained. "Augusta was the most beautiful palette upon which he could paint these pictures in his mind. It was made for Seve." Ballesteros followed up his opening day 66 with rounds of 69 and 68 on Friday and Saturday respectively, taking an incredible seven-stroke lead into the final day. Despite being one of the youngest competing, the 23-year-old was on course to break the course's 72-hole record.READ: How Jack Nicklaus' sixth Masters win aged 46 tops Tiger Woods' redemption taleBallesteros during the 1976 Open Championship.The final dayOn the final day, Ballesteros sauntered through the front nine and extended his lead. "There's a cliché which goes that the Masters doesn't begin until the back nine on Sunday and, in 1980, come the back nine on Sunday, it looked like it was all over. Seve led by 10 shots," Ballesteros' biographer Robert Green told Living Golf."I'm sure he knew he'd got it won, everybody knew he'd got it won, there's no drama -- then, four holes later, he leads by just three. He'd dropped four shots in four holes and Jack Newton had made three birdies in three holes and, suddenly, what had seemed like an unassailable lead had all but drifted away." With his lead wilting around the iconic Amen corner, Ballesteros required all the determination and desire he could muster. "Jack Newton was a wonderful player from Australia and Seve and Jack had this great battle," Crenshaw said.According to Green, when a player loses control at Augusta a round can "get away from you very fast," which is what was threatening to happen to Ballesteros. Ballesteros putts during the third round of the 1980 Masters.READ: Rory McIlroy bids to join golf's greats with career grand slam at Masters"It just shows me that Augusta, more than anywhere else, how particularly those water-strewn holes on the back nine, that it can get away from you very fast, if things go wrong," Green explains. Few knew Ballesteros better than Billy Foster, his caddy from 1991 to 1995. "I've caddied for nearly 30 years, there's no other golfer that I've ever met to this day that showed the determination, the grit, the desire -- I've seen him biting grips in tears," the Englishman told CNN in 2016."He just loved the game and it meant everything to him, it was his life." After his nightmare run of bogeys through Amen Corner -- a term coined by sports writer Herbert Warren Wind in 1958 for the 11th, 12th and the tee shot on the 13th hole -- Ballesteros astonishingly birdied the 15th and got home safely, winning by four strokes at 13-under par.In one of the most remarkable Sunday's in Masters history, Augusta had crowned one of the most remarkable champions in its history. Speaking to CNN five years before his death in 2011, Ballesteros outlined the characteristics he needed to become a Masters champion. "To be a winner, it takes a lot of things -- it takes talent obviously, it takes time to develop that talent, discipline, determination, desire ... and good nerves." READ: DeChambeau hoping lack of patrons at Masters can give him 'bit of an advantage'Ballesteros in action in 1984.The legacyBallesteros' dramatic victory opened the door for a host of other European golfers to succeed on the biggest of stages. "I really believe that without Seve, it would have taken maybe 20 or 30 years more for the European game to be where we are today," Ballesteros' friend, Jose Maria Olazabal, who would himself won two Green Jackets, told Living Golf as he reflected on the 40th anniversary. Despite his magnificent triumph in 1980, however, Ballesteros was not yet well known in his homeland."I think what would have hurt him the most was that there would be essentially no acknowledgment of his achievement in Spain because, generally, people in Spain weren't interested in golf," Green explained.Manuel Pinero, Ballesteros, Jose Maria Canizares and Jose Rivero celebrate Europe winning the 26th Ryder Cup in 1985.READ: What a Masters like no other might be likeWith a pained expression, Olazabal said: "I remember, I was told by him that when he won the Open Championship [in 1979] for instance, the TV cut the images when he was in contention to win the event with four or five holes to go so that they could show a horse race."As his career progressed, the Spanish public not only warmed to Ballesteros but also to the sport of golf, thanks mainly to Ballesteros' magnetic personality and success. The adoration was evident during the euphoric scenes at Valderama in 1997 as Ballesteros captained the European team to a dramatic Ryder Cup victory on his home soil over the Americans.There is perhaps no greater example of Ballesteros' legacy in Spain than current world No. 2 Jon Rahm, one of the favorites to claim the Green Jacket this year."Because of that 1997 Ryder Cup, and that Seve spirit, that aura, that something that Seve had, my family started playing golf and I'm here because of it," Rahm said. "He was a pioneer of golf, not only in Spain but Europe, and when I tell people they don't usually believe me. When he started playing golf, I think there was about 15,000 people that were licensed to play golf in Spain, when he died there was 350,000 people."Olazabal uses the shoulders of Ballesteros to get a better view of the hole during the 29th Ryder Cup in 1991. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosIt's been a spectacular year for Rahm, as he became the only Spaniard, other than Ballesteros, to reach the world No. 1 spot. If he wins the Green Jacket, he'll be the third Spaniard to follow in Ballesteros' footsteps -- after Olazabal and Sergio Garcia."It's crazy to think of his story, right? I mean, [he] started as a caddy with one club and made it all the way to the pros, goes to Augusta and is the first European to win the Masters. It's unbelievable."	5sport
Story highlightsCzech Republic and Greece first teams into quarterfinals at Euro 2012Russia and co-hosts Poland exit after losing final Group A matchesCaptain Giorgos Karagounis scores Greece's winner against RussiaPetr Jiracek scores his second goal of tournament to eliminate PolandThe highly-fancied Russia team and co-hosts Poland crashed out of Euro 2012 on Saturday as the Czech Republic and Greece became the first nations to secure quarterfinal berths.Russia led Group A going into the third and final round of matches, needing just a draw against Greece to progress into the last eight.However, a superb strike from veteran Greece captain Giorgis Karagounis just before halftime proved enough to send Dick Advocaat's side home."When we left Greece, we all said, 'We will give everything when our compatriots aren't having the best of times,' said Karagounis, referring to Greece's economic problems."I believe that this tonight puts a smile on their faces. We're happy we managed to do this for Greece, for our country, for Greeks all over the world."Euro 2012: Day 9 as it happened Photos: Euro 2012: The best photos Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's soccer team celebrates with the Euro 2012 trophy on a double-decker bus during the victory parade in Madrid on Monday. Spain defeated Italy 4-0 in the final match on Sunday. Euro 2012, bringing together 16 of Europe's best national soccer teams, began June 8 in Poland and Ukraine. Look back at the action and atmosphere.Hide Caption 1 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Supporters of Spain's national soccer team are hosed down before the team's victory parade in Madrid on Monday.Hide Caption 2 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's team arrives at Cibeles Square on top of a double-decker bus Monday after parading through Madrid.Hide Caption 3 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Juan Mata, left, and Santi Cazorla of Spain hoist the Euro 2012 trophy during Monday's celebrations.Hide Caption 4 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans celebrate in Cibeles Square during the victory parade. Organizers had the crowd cooled off with hoses.Hide Caption 5 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain fans gather in Madrid to congratulate their team on Monday.Hide Caption 6 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Captain Iker Casillas of Spain lifts the trophy after the team defeated Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final on Sunday, July 1, in Kiev, Ukraine.Hide Caption 7 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cesc Fabregas of Spain jumps on his teammates as they celebrate after Fernando Torres scored his team's third goal against Italy.Hide Caption 8 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli reacts to Spain's fourth and final goal in Sunday's match.Hide Caption 9 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain celebrates after defeating Italy on Sunday. It was the team's third successive major international trophy.Hide Caption 10 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fernando Torres of Spain celebrates scoring his team's third goal against Italy.Hide Caption 11 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon looks on during Sunday's match against Spain.Hide Caption 12 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's Fernando Torres nudges the ball toward the goal past Italy's Gianluigi Buffon.Hide Caption 13 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gianluigi Buffon of Italy looks back at the ball as Spain's Fernando Torres scores.Hide Caption 14 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cesc Fabregas of Spain runs with the ball past Leonardo Bonucci of Italy.Hide Caption 15 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Spain celebrates after his team's third goal against Italy.Hide Caption 16 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fernando Torres of Spain speaks with his daughter, Nora, after Sunday's match against Italy.Hide Caption 17 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jordi Alba of Spain celebrates after scoring his team's second goal as Leonardo Bonucci of Italy kicks the ball in frustration.Hide Caption 18 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's Sergio Ramos of Spain reacts next to Mario Balotelli of Italy during the match on Sunday.Hide Caption 19 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Daniele De Rossi of Italy falls to the ground Sunday after battling David Silva of Spain for the ball.Hide Caption 20 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Iker Casillas of Spain, center, stretches for the ball in front of teammate Sergio Ramos, right, as Mario Balotelli of Italy attempts a goal on Sunday.Hide Caption 21 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ignazio Abate of Italy, left, shows his dejection after Spain scored a second goal.Hide Caption 22 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Federico Balzaretti, left, and Leonardo Bonucci of Italy challenge Spain's David Silva during Sunday's final match.Hide Caption 23 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – David Silva of Spain celebrates after scoring the opening goal in the Euro 2012 final match against Italy on Sunday.Hide Caption 24 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's Sergio Ramos slides in to tackle Mario Balotelli of Italy.Hide Caption 25 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ignazio Abate of Italy, center, grabs the shirt of Spain's Andres Iniesta.Hide Caption 26 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – David Silva of Spain, right, celebrates with teammate Alvaro Arbeloa after scoring the opening goal against Italy.Hide Caption 27 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Antonio Cassano of Italy battles for the ball during the final match against Spain.Hide Caption 28 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans enjoy the atmosphere ahead of the Euro 2012 final between Spain and Italy.Hide Caption 29 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli of Italy warms up ahead of Sunday's match againt Spain.Hide Caption 30 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy fans cheer ahead of the match against Spain.Hide Caption 31 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A fan rallies before the Italy-Spain final.Hide Caption 32 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The national flags of the competing nations are carried around the pitch during the closing ceremony before the Euro 2012 final in Kiev.Hide Caption 33 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain fans gear up for the match against Italy on Sunday.Hide Caption 34 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The Italian team celebates their victory over Germany at the end of the Euro 2012 football championships semifinal match on Thursday, June 28, at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.Hide Caption 35 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – German defender Mats Hummels, center, heads the ball by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, in red.Hide Caption 36 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon fails to stop a penalty.Hide Caption 37 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian forward Antonio Di Natale vies with German goalkeeper Manuel NeuerHide Caption 38 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – German forward Miroslav Klose lands on the ground while vying with Italian defender Federico Balzaretti.Hide Caption 39 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer grabs the ball.Hide Caption 40 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini heads the ball.Hide Caption 41 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sami Khedira of Germany, in white, battles for the ball with Riccardo Montolivo of Italy. Hide Caption 42 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli, right, of Italy battles for the ball with Mats Hummels of Germany.Hide Caption 43 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy celebrates after scoring his team's second goal.Hide Caption 44 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian forward Mario Balotelli shoots to score his second goal of the match.Hide Caption 45 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian midfielder Daniele De Rossi and German midfielder Mesut Ozil try to get control of the ball.Hide Caption 46 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – German midfielder Ilkay Guendogan vies with Italian defender Andrea Barzagli.Hide Caption 47 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Claudio Marchisio of Italy and Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany battle for the ball.Hide Caption 48 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian forward Mario Balotelli, in blue, heads the ball into the goal, scoring the first goal in the match.Hide Caption 49 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini slides under German midfielder Sami Khedira.Hide Caption 50 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italian midfielder Daniele De Rossi goes airborne past German forward Lukas Podolski on Thursday.Hide Caption 51 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The Spanish national team celebrates its win in the Euro 2012 semifinal match against Portugal at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, June 27. Hide Caption 52 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cesc Fabregas of Spain scores the winning penalty.Hide Caption 53 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas jumps for the ball during the semifinal match.Hide Caption 54 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo lies on the ground as Spanish defender Alvaro Arbeloa tries to help.Hide Caption 55 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas is tackled by Portuguese defender Joao Pereira.Hide Caption 56 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho, right, vies with Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta.Hide Caption 57 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio stops a shot during the penalty shootout.Hide Caption 58 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho reacts after he fails to score a penalty shot against Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.Hide Caption 59 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas stops a penalty kicked by Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho.Hide Caption 60 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese coach Paulo Bento talks to his players.Hide Caption 61 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Alvaro Negredo of Spain and Bruno Alves of Portugal slam into each other. Hide Caption 62 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Bruno Alves of Portugal and Alvaro Negredo of Spain challenge for the ball.Hide Caption 63 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles heads the ball.Hide Caption 64 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal jumps for a high ball in front of Jordi Alba of Spain.Hide Caption 65 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Portugal fan shows his support.Hide Caption 66 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A sea of Spain fans show their colors.Hide Caption 67 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish midfielder David Silva, in red, vies with Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao, left and Portuguese defender Bruno Alves.Hide Caption 68 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, left, falls while vying with Portuguese defender Joao Pereira.Hide Caption 69 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andres Iniesta of Spain shoots past Pepe and Joao Pereira of Portugal.Hide Caption 70 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sergio Ramos of Spain challenges Cristiano Ronaldo of PortugalHide Caption 71 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's national team celebrates after winning the penalty shootout in the quarterfinal match against England on Sunday, June 24, in Kiev, Ukraine. Hide Caption 72 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Joe Hart of England reacts during the match against Italy.Hide Caption 73 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England attempts an overhead kick on Sunday against Italy. Hide Caption 74 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – England's Wayne Rooney maneuvers against Italy.Hide Caption 75 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The English players line up during the penalty shootout against Italy.Hide Caption 76 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Daniele De Rossi of Italy reacts after a missed goal during the quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 77 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Scott Parker of England and Andrea Pirlo of Italy compete for the ball Sunday.Hide Caption 78 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Joleon Lescott of England and Mario Balotelli of Italy share a moment during a break in the match.Hide Caption 79 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy strikes the ball as Joleon Lescott of England looks on.Hide Caption 80 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Riccardo Montolivo of Italy reacts during the match against England.Hide Caption 81 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli kicks the ball during the quarterfinal match against England.Hide Caption 82 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England and Ignazio Abate of Italy go after the ball.Hide Caption 83 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – James Milner of England competes with Italy's Leonardo Bonucci.Hide Caption 84 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Danny Welbeck of England and Andrea Barzagli of Italy jump for the ball.Hide Caption 85 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy strikes the ball as Glen Johnson of England looks on.Hide Caption 86 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England goes after the ball during the match against Italy.Hide Caption 87 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Daniele De Rossi of Italy and Scott Parker of England compete in Sunday's quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 88 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Gianluigi Buffon makes a save during Sunday's quarterfinal match against England.Hide Caption 89 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England heads the ball as Ignazio Abate of Italy challenges during the quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 90 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy and Ashley Cole of England compete for control of the ball.Hide Caption 91 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy challenges Joleon Lescott of England.Hide Caption 92 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gianluigi Buffon of Italy makes a save as Wayne Rooney of England runs in during the quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 93 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Joleon Lescott of England challenges Mario Balotelli of Italy.Hide Caption 94 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Federico Balzaretti of Italy runs after James Milner of England.Hide Caption 95 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – An Italy fan enjoys the atmosphere ahead of Sunday's quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 96 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy gears up for the match against England on Sunday.Hide Caption 97 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the quarter final match between Spain and France at Donbass Arena on Saturday, June 23, in Donetsk, Ukraine.Hide Caption 98 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery of France look dejected after defeat during the quarter final match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 99 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the quarter final match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 100 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Franck Ribery of France and David Silva of Spain challenge for the ball.Hide Caption 101 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain challenges Florent Malouda of France during the quarter final match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 102 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain celebrates after scoring the first goal with Cesc Fabregas during Spain's quarterfinal match against France.Hide Caption 103 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Franck Ribery of France challenges David Silva of Spain.Hide Caption 104 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gael Clichy of France and David Silva of Spain contend for the ball.Hide Caption 105 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Anthony Reveillere of France is closed down by Andres Iniesta of Spain.Hide Caption 106 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – At least two fans of Spain and France were able to put aside their differences for Saturday's Euro 2012 quarterfinal game.Hide Caption 107 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The Spanish team lines up ahead of the quarterfinal match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 108 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jordi Alba of Spain challenges Yann M'Vila of France during a Euro 2012 quarterfinal match Saturday.Hide Caption 109 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xavi of Spain challenges Florent Malouda of France.Hide Caption 110 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cesc Fabregas of Spain reacts during the quarterfinal match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 111 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Spanish fan enjoys the atmosphere ahead of the quarterfinal match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 112 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jordi Alba of Spain in action with Mathieu Debuchy of France.Hide Caption 113 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain scores the first goal past Hugo Lloris of France.Hide Caption 114 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Xabi Alonso of Spain celebrates after scoring the first goal during the quarterfinal match between Spain and France.Hide Caption 115 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A giant German football shirt is seen in the crowd during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece at The Municipal Stadium on Friday, June 22, in Gdansk, Poland. Hide Caption 116 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece fouls Mats Hummels of Germany during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece.Hide Caption 117 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Manuel Neuer of Germany dives the wrong way as Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece (not pictured) scores from the penalty spot during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece.Hide Caption 118 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Georgios Samaras of Greece dribbles by Sami Khedira, left, and Jerome Boateng of Germany during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece.Hide Caption 119 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany tackles Nikos Liberopoulos of Greece during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece.Hide Caption 120 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Miroslav Klose of Germany scores their third goal during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece.Hide Caption 121 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Georgios Samaras of Greece scores the team's first goal past Manuel Neuer of Germany.Hide Caption 122 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sami Khedira of Germany celebrates scoring the team's second goal with Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany against Greece.Hide Caption 123 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sami Khedira of Germany scores the team's second goal past Michalis Sifakis of Greece.Hide Caption 124 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Marco Reus of Germany celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal with Mesut Ozil.Hide Caption 125 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Greece's Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Germany's Sami Khedira compete for the ball.Hide Caption 126 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Miroslav Klose clashes with Greece's Dimitris Salpigidis.Hide Caption 127 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Marco Reus celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal with Jerome Boateng during the Euro 2012 quarter-final match against Greece at The Municipal Stadium in Gdansk, Poland.Hide Caption 128 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Georgios Samaras and Kostas Katsouranis celebrate scoring a goal that tied their game against Germany, 1-1, during a quarterfinal match at Euro 2012 in Gdansk, Poland.Hide Caption 129 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sami Khedira celebrates scoring a goal that put Germany ahead 2-1 against Greece on Friday, June 22, during a quarterfinal match in Gdansk, Poland.Hide Caption 130 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Georgios Samaras scores Greece's first goal past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.Hide Caption 131 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Philipp Lahm, Marco Reus and Miroslav Klose celebrate a goal that put Germany ahead of Greece 1-0 in Friday's quarterfinal match.Hide Caption 132 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Tens of thousands of fans in the Memorial Stadium watch as the German team celebrates after a goal.Hide Caption 133 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Holger Badstuber chases down Greece's Georgios Samaras during the Euro 2012 quarterfinal match at the Municipal Stadium in Gdansk, Poland.Hide Caption 134 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Vasilis Torosidis of Greece shadows Marco Reus of Germany during their Euro 2012 quarterfinal match in Gdansk, Poland.Hide Caption 135 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger beats Greece's Georgios Samaras to the ball.Hide Caption 136 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Greek fan watches the quarterfinal match against Germany on Friday.Hide Caption 137 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Miroslav Klose of Germany and Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Greece fight for the ball.Hide Caption 138 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, tackles Giannis Maniatis of Greece.Hide Caption 139 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans for Germany show their spirit in the Municipal Stadium in Gdansk.Hide Caption 140 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jan Rezek of Czech Republic and Pepe of Portugal battle for the ball during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and Portugal on Thursday, June 21. Hide Caption 141 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Petr Jiracek of the Czech Republic and teammates look dejected after conceding the opening goal to Portugal.Hide Caption 142 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the quarter final match against the Czech Republic.Hide Caption 143 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Tomas Sivok and David Limbersky of Czech Republic defend the attack of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.Hide Caption 144 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Tom Hubschman of Czech Republic defends against Portugal's Nani during the quarter final between Czech Republic and Portugal at The National Stadium on June 21, 2012 in Warsaw.Hide Caption 145 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Joao Pereira of Portugal and Vaclav Pilar of Czech Republic jump for the ball.Hide Caption 146 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portgual's Cristiano Ronaldo attempts an overhead kick during the Euro 2012 quarter final match between the Czech Republic and Portugal at the National Stadium on Thursday, June 21, in Warsaw, Poland.Hide Caption 147 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Czech Republic fan celebrates during a quarter-final match between the Czech Republic and Portugal on Thursday in Warsaw, Poland.Hide Caption 148 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Portugal fan holds up a sign during the quarter-final match between the Czech Republic and Portugal.Hide Caption 149 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Miguel Veloso of Portugal and Vladimir Darida of Czech Republic battle for the ball during the quarter-final match between Czech Republic and Portugal.Hide Caption 150 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Helder Postiga of Portugal tackles Tomas Sivok of Czech Republic during the quarter-final match.Hide Caption 151 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ziatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden scores the opening goal during the group D match against France on Tuesday, June 19. Hide Caption 152 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Franck Ribery of France goes past Andreas Granqvist of Sweden during the match between Sweden and France.Hide Caption 153 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden celebrates his goal during the group D match against France.Hide Caption 154 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Karim Benzema of France is challenged by Jonas Olsson of Sweden during the match between Sweden and France.Hide Caption 155 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Marko Devic of Ukraine reacts during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 156 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England scores their first goal during the match between England and Ukraine on Tuesday.Hide Caption 157 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Head coach Oleh Blokhin of Ukraine shouts instructions during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 158 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – John Terry of England clears an effort from Marko Devic of Ukraine off the line during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 159 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden celebrates his goal with Jonas Olsson, left, and Martin Olsson during the match between Sweden and France.Hide Caption 160 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England controls the ball during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 161 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photoseuro 2012 tues 06 – Yaroslav Rakytskyy of Ukraine and Danny Welbeck of England compete for the ball during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 162 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England clashes with Denys Garmash of Ukraine during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 163 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Franck Ribery of France is tackled by Anders Svensson of Sweden during the match between Sweden and France.Hide Caption 164 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – England fans soak up the atmosphere during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 165 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Danny Welbeck of England beats Yevhen Khacheridi of Ukraine to the ball during the match between England and Ukraine.Hide Caption 166 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A young Ukraine fan shows enthusiasm ahead of the match between England and Ukraine on Tuesday, June 19. Hide Caption 167 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – England's fans get ready for the match against Ukraine at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine.Hide Caption 168 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wayne Rooney of England breaks past Denys Harmash of Ukraine during Tuesday's match in Donetsk, Ukraine.Hide Caption 169 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Emir Bajrami of Sweden gets tackled by France's Hatem Ben Arfa, left, and Yann M'Vila during a Group D match Tuesday in Kiev, Ukraine.Hide Caption 170 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa and Croatia's Ivan Strinic fight for the ball during the group C match at Municipal Stadium in Gdansk, Poland, on Monday, June 18. Hide Caption 171 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ireland fans do the Poznan as they enjoy the atmosphere during the match against Italy.Hide Caption 172 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Antonio Cassano heads in the opening goal against Ireland.Hide Caption 173 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Andrea Barzagli tackles Ireland's Kevin Doyle on Monday.Hide Caption 174 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jesus Navas scores Spain's first goal during the group C match against Croatia on Monday.Hide Caption 175 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Croatia's Luka Modric looks on after Spain's Jesus Navas scores a goal.Hide Caption 176 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Claudio Marchisio jumps to control the ball during the match against Ireland.Hide Caption 177 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli smiles at Ireland's Shay Given.Hide Caption 178 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Kevin Doyle of Ireland and Daniele De Rossi of Italy jump for the ball on Monday.Hide Caption 179 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Badges adorn an Ireland fan's scarf ahead of the group C match between Italy and Ireland.Hide Caption 180 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – An Irish fan attempts to catch a snapshot of the action ahead of match between Italy and Ireland.Hide Caption 181 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Kevin Doyle of Ireland tackles Andrea Pirlo of Italy.Hide Caption 182 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A fan awaits the action before the start of the match between Croatia and Spain.Hide Caption 183 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Spanish fan waits for the start of the match between Croatiia and Spain.Hide Caption 184 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Luka Modric of Croatia is closed down by Alvaro Arbeloa and Xavi of Spain.Hide Caption 185 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Danijel Pranjic of Croatia and Alvaro Arbeloa of Spain compete for the ball.Hide Caption 186 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Lars Bender of Germany celebrates with Miroslav Klose after scoring the team's second goal against Denmark in L'viv, Ukraine, on Sunday, June 17. Hide Caption 187 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates with his teammates as Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands looks dejected during Sunday's match in Kharkov, Ukraine.Hide Caption 188 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jores Okore, William Kvist and Lars Jacobsen of Denmark face defeat in the match against Germany on Sunday.Hide Caption 189 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Germany's Lars Bender celebrates during the match against Denmark.Hide Caption 190 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, bottom left, celebrates with teammates Miguel Veloso and Custodio after scoring the team's second goal against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 191 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts to his goal against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 192 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer of Germany walk toward the ball after Michael Krohn-Dehli of Denmark scored.Hide Caption 193 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portugal's Bruno Alves battles Joris Mathijsen of the Netherlands for control of the ball.Hide Caption 194 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Dutch fan makes a heart shape with her hands before the start of the team's match against Portugal.Hide Caption 195 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal competes with Ron Vlaar of the Netherlands.Hide Caption 196 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Michael Krohn-Dehli of Denmark reacts after scoring the first goal against Germany.Hide Caption 197 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Miguel Veloso of Portugal challenges Robin van Persie of the Netherlands on Sunday.Hide Caption 198 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates scoring the first goal against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 199 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo kicks the ball past a Dutch defender during Sunday's match.Hide Caption 200 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Lukas Podolski of Germany celebrates scoring the first goal against Denmark.Hide Caption 201 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Rafael van der Vaart of the Netherlands scores the opening goal past Miguel Veloso of Portugal.Hide Caption 202 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans of Portugal rally ahead of the team's match against Netherlands in Metalist Stadium.Hide Caption 203 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sami Khedira of Germany and Christian Eriksen of Denmark compete for the ball.Hide Caption 204 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans of Germany dress up for the match against Denmark.Hide Caption 205 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal looks on before the match against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 206 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Danish fan enjoys the atmosphere ahead of the team's match against Germany.Hide Caption 207 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dutch fans cheer during the match against Portugual on Sunday.Hide Caption 208 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Georgios Samaras, Giannis Maniatis and Giorgos Tzavelas of Greece celebrate victory during the match between Greece and Russia on Saturday, June 16.Hide Caption 209 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Tzavelas of Greece celebrates during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 210 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Damien Perquis of Poland lies on the pitch at the final whistle during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 211 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Poland fans look on during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 212 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Karagounis of Greece, center, celebrates Greece's victory over Russia and and adnvancement to the quarter finals during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 213 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Robert Lewandowski of Poland sits dejected at the final whistle during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 214 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Aleksandr Anyukov of Russia and Georgios Samaras of Greece battle for the ball during the group A match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 215 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sergey Ignashevich, Aleksey Berezutskiy and Igor Denisov of Russia look dejected during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 216 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Petr Jiracek of Czech Republic celebrates scoring the first goal with Milan Baros of Czech Republic during the group A match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 217 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dariusz Dudka of Poland goes in to win the ball during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 218 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Karagounis of Greece reacts after he receives a yellow card for diving from referee Jonas Eriksson during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 219 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Karagounis of Greece, center, celebrates scoring the opening goal with teammates, left to right, Kostas Katsouranis, Giannis Maniatis and Sotiris Ninis during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 220 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Karagounis of Greece scores the opening goal past Vyacheslav Malafeev of Russia during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 221 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Eugen Polanski of Poland brings down Vaclav Pilar of Czech Republic during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 222 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgos Karagounis of Greece scores the opening goal under pressure from Yuriy Zhirkov of Russia during the match between Greece and Russia on Saturday.Hide Caption 223 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Yuriy Zhirkov of Russia jumps over the challenge by Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 224 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Football fans enjoy the atmopshere during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 225 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Petr Jiracek of Czech Republic looks on during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 226 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Robert Lewandowski of Poland tackles Theodor Gebre Selassie of Czech Republic during the group match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 227 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photoseuro 2012 sat 33 – Andrey Arshavin of Russia falls under the challenge by Giorgos Tzavelas of Greece during the the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 228 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Greece fan enjoys the atmosphere ahead of the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 229 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Russian fans enjoy the atmosphere ahead of the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 230 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Kostas Katsouranis of Greece and Denis Glushakov of Russia tussle for the ball during the match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 231 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jakub Blaszczykowski of Poland jumps to avoid a challenge from Petr Cech of Czech Republic during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 232 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Football fans enjoy the atmopshere ahead of the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 233 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The Greece team celebrate during match between Greece and Russia.Hide Caption 234 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – David Limbersky of Czech Republic is tackled by Dariusz Dudka of Poland during the match between Czech Republic and Poland.Hide Caption 235 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Martin Olsson of Sweden celebrates after Glen Johnson of England fails to stop Olof Mellberg of Sweden's goal during the group D match between Sweden and England on Friday, June 15, in Kiev, Ukraine.Hide Caption 236 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sweden celebrates after Olof Mellberg of Sweden scored its first goal during the match between Sweden and England.Hide Caption 237 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Olof Mellberg of Sweden scores Sweden's second goal against England in the Sweden-England matchup.Hide Caption 238 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden and John Terry of England clash during the match between Sweden and England.Hide Caption 239 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Danny Welbeck of England scores the third goal past Andreas Isaksson of Sweden.Hide Caption 240 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sweden fans show their support before the group D match between Sweden and England.Hide Caption 241 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – England fans soak up the atmopshere ahead of the Sweden-England matchup.Hide Caption 242 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andy Carroll, right, of England celebrates the first goal with captain Steven Gerrard during the match between Sweden and England.Hide Caption 243 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andreas Granqvist of Sweden is tackled by Andy Carroll of England during the Sweden-England matchup.Hide Caption 244 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andy Carroll of England heads the first goal during the match between Sweden and England.Hide Caption 245 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Yohan Cabaye of France scores the second goal past Oleh Husyev of Ukraine during the match between Ukraine and France.Hide Caption 246 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Yevhen Selin of Ukraine and Yevhen Khacheridi put pressure on Jeremy Menez of France during the group D match between Ukraine and France.Hide Caption 247 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Yohan Cabaye of France celebrates a goal with Karim Benzema of France during the Ukraine-France matchup.Hide Caption 248 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A man looks on after play was suspended due to bad weather during the match between Ukraine and France.Hide Caption 249 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Painted Ukraine fans enjoy themselves before the Euro 2012 group D match between Ukraine and France.Hide Caption 250 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – After minutes of playing, torrential rainfall caused the Ukraine vs. France game to be temporarily suspended on Friday. Hide Caption 251 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans endure the rains during the match between Ukraine and France.Hide Caption 252 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ukraine's Yevhen Konoplyanka, right, battles France's Mathieu Debuchy for control of the ball Friday in a group D match.Hide Caption 253 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Players leave the field Friday after weather caused the Ukraine vs. France game to be suspended.Hide Caption 254 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Shay Given of Republic of Ireland tosses the towel during the group C match between Spain and Ireland in Gdansk, Poland, on Thursday, June 14. Hide Caption 255 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sean St Ledger, Shay Given and Richard Dunne of Republic of Ireland sit dejected after Fernando Torres of Spain scored Spain's third goal during the Spain-Ireland match.Hide Caption 256 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Shay Given of Republic of Ireland makes a save during the match between Spain and Ireland.Hide Caption 257 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Republic of Ireland fans look on during the Spain-Ireland match.Hide Caption 258 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jonathan Walters of Republic of Ireland clashes with Xabi Alonso of Spain during the match between Spain and Ireland.Hide Caption 259 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fernando Torres of Spain celebrates scoring the team's third goal during the match between Spain and Ireland.Hide Caption 260 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans make their voices heard during the Group C match between Spain and Ireland.Hide Caption 261 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fernando Torres of Spain scores the team's first goal against Ireland.Hide Caption 262 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – David Silva of Spain battles for the ball with Damien Duff of Ireland.Hide Caption 263 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Croatia's Mario Mandzukic and his teammate Darijo Sma celebrate the team's game-tying goal against Italy in Poznan, Poland, on Thursday, June 14. Hide Caption 264 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Balotelli of Italy makes his case during Thursday's match against Croatia.Hide Caption 265 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ognjen Vukojevic and Ivan Perisic of Croatia stand by after a flare was thrown onto the field.Hide Caption 266 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gianluigi Buffon of Italy gestures during the match against Croatia.Hide Caption 267 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gordon Schildenfeld of Croatia and Sebastian Giovinco of Italy battle for the ball.Hide Caption 268 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Luka Modric of Croatia is marshalled by Mario Balotelli of Italy.Hide Caption 269 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Emanuele Giaccherini of Italy clashes with Darijo Srna of Croatia.Hide Caption 270 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Stipe Pletikosa of Croatia fails to stop a goal from a free kick by Andrea Pirlo of Italy.Hide Caption 271 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andrea Pirlo of Italy celebrates scoring the opening goal against Croatia.Hide Caption 272 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – An Italy fan cheers during the team's Group C match against Croatia.Hide Caption 273 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans enjoy the atmosphere during the match between Italy and Croatia in Poland on Thursday.Hide Caption 274 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Giorgio Chiellini of Italy and Nikica Jelavic of Croatia compete for the ball.Hide Caption 275 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans revel during the Italy-Croatia match on Thursday.Hide Caption 276 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Philipp Lahm of Germany controls the ball during the Group B match between Netherlands and Germany on Wednesday, June 13. Hide Caption 277 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – John Heitinga of the Netherlands and Sami Khedira of Germany compete for the ball during the Group B match between Netherlands and Germany. Hide Caption 278 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Manuel Neuer of Germany celebrates after Mario Gomez scored the opening goal against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 279 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – John Heitinga of the Netherlands and Mario Gomez of Germany fight for the ball.Hide Caption 280 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal clashes with Simon Kjær of Denmark during the Group B match between Portugal and Denmark.Hide Caption 281 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Pepe of Portugal, left, celebrates scores the team's first goal against Denmark.Hide Caption 282 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Nicklas Bendtner of Denmark beats Pepe of Portugal to head in Denmark's second goal.Hide Caption 283 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Silvestre Varela of Portugal celebrates scoring their third goal against Denmark with Joao Moutinho of Portugal.Hide Caption 284 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Portugal fans rally before the Group B match against Denmark in Lviv, Ukraine. Hide Caption 285 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal gestures during the match against Denmark.Hide Caption 286 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Pepe celebrates after Helder Postiga of Portugal scored the second goal against Denmark.Hide Caption 287 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dennis Rommedahl of Denmark fights for possession with Fabio Coentrao of Portugal.Hide Caption 288 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Denmark's Simon Kjær battles for a header against Helder Postiga of Portugal on Wednesday.Hide Caption 289 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jakub Blaszczykowski of Poland celebrates after scoring Poland's equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Russia in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, June 12. Hide Caption 290 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Poland captain Blaszczykowski scored in the 57th minute as the co-hosts denied Russia the satisfaction of becoming the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals, Tueday. Hide Caption 291 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Polish fans cheer during the group A match between Poland and Russia, Tuesday.Hide Caption 292 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Roman Shirokov of Russia and Dariusz Dudka of Poland vie for control of the ball during their match, Tuesday.Hide Caption 293 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Aleksandr Kerzhakov of Russia and Marcin Wasilewski of Poland jump to avoid colliding with Poland's goalkeeper, Grzegorz Sandomiersk.Hide Caption 294 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Poland fan looks thoughtful ahead of the team's match against Russia, Tuesday.Hide Caption 295 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Petr Jiracek of the Czech Republic scores the opening goal against Greece in Wroclaw, Poland, on Tuesday, June 12. Hide Caption 296 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Greece's Dimitris Salpigidis reacts during Tuesday's match. His team went on to lose 2-1 to the Czech Republic.Hide Caption 297 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – The Czech Republic's Vaclav Pilar, right, scores the second goal of the match against Greece.Hide Caption 298 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer for Greece during its Group A match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.Hide Caption 299 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Pilar of the Czech Republic celebrates scoring the team's second goal against Greece.Hide Caption 300 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A fan cheers during the Greece-Czech Republic match Tuesday at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.Hide Caption 301 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Jiracek scores the Czech Republic's opening goal against Greece and Jose Holebas on Tuesday.Hide Caption 302 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Andriy Shevchenko of Ukraine reacts to scoring the team's second goal during the Group D match against Sweden in Kiev, Ukraine, on Monday, June 11.Hide Caption 303 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring Sweden's first goal against Ukraine.Hide Caption 304 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ukraine's Andriy Voronin vies with Swedish defender Andreas Granqvist.Hide Caption 305 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Swedish fan soaks up the atmosphere ahead of Monday's match against Ukraine.Hide Caption 306 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Yevhen Selin of Ukraine and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden battle for the ball.Hide Caption 307 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ukraine's Anatoliy Tymoshchuk tackles Kim Kallstrom of Sweden.Hide Caption 308 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Goalkeeper Joe Hart of England blocks Samir Nasri of France during the Group D match in Donetsk, Ukraine, Monday, June11.Hide Caption 309 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Players compete for control of the ball during the England-France match on Monday.Hide Caption 310 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Scott Parker of England fights for possession with Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema of France.Hide Caption 311 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Joleon Lescott of England scores during the first half of the match against France.Hide Caption 312 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Steven Gerrard of England celebrates after Joleon Lescott's goal against France.Hide Caption 313 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Samir Nasri of France celebrates his goal against England.Hide Caption 314 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mathieu Debuchy of France flies through the air as he battles England's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.Hide Caption 315 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A France fan shows her colors during the game against England.Hide Caption 316 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of England and Adil Rami of France fight for possession.Hide Caption 317 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – England fans wearing Queen Elizabeth II masks watch the match against France on Monday.Hide Caption 318 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Kevin Doyle of Ireland and Vedran Corluka of Croatia battle for the ball in Poznan, Poland, on Sunday, June 10. Hide Caption 319 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Mandzukic of Croatia celebrates after scoring the team's third goal against Ireland on Sunday.Hide Caption 320 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Goalkeeper Shay Given of Ireland fails to stop Croatia's Mario Mandzukic from scoring.Hide Caption 321 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ireland's Jonathan Walters competes with Croatia's Vedran Corluka.Hide Caption 322 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Croatia fans ignite flares during Sunday's match against Ireland.Hide Caption 323 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Mandzukic celebrates after scoring the opening goal for Croatia during the match against Ireland.Hide Caption 324 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ireland's Sean St Ledger ties up the game against Croatia.Hide Caption 325 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ireland fans enjoy the atmosphere before Sunday's match against Croatia.Hide Caption 326 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Gordon Schildenfeld of Croatia clashes with Kevin Doyle of Ireland.Hide Caption 327 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Sergio Ramos of Spain and Mario Balotelli of Italy compete for the ball duing their match in Gdansk, Poland, Sunday, June 10.Hide Caption 328 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli takes control of the ball in Sunday's match against Spain. Hide Caption 329 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Gianluigi Buffon gestures duriing the match against Spain.Hide Caption 330 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Mario Balotelli looks up after a fall during the Spain-Italy match.Hide Caption 331 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Antonio Di Natale celebrates after scoring Italy's first goal against Spain. Spain was held to a 1-1 draw.Hide Caption 332 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Italy's Antonio Di Natale kicks the ball past goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Spain.Hide Caption 333 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Spanish fans get into the mood ahead of Sunday's match against Italy.Hide Caption 334 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – An Italy fan cheers before Sunday's match against Spain.Hide Caption 335 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Daniele De Rossi of Italy tackles Cesc Fabregas of Spain.Hide Caption 336 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Thiago Motta of Italy takes a fall while playing against Spain on Sunday.Hide Caption 337 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Sami Khedira of Germany fight for the ball in a match on Saturday, June 9.Hide Caption 338 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Mario Gomez celebrates Germany's first goal during the match against Portugal.Hide Caption 339 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Lukas Podolski of Germany and Raul Meireles of Portugal battle for the ball.Hide Caption 340 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Lukas Podolski of Germany in action during the Germany-Portugal match.Hide Caption 341 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany holds off a challenge from Joao Moutinho of Portugal.Hide Caption 342 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Michael Krohn-Dehli of Denmark scores the team's first goal past Maarten Stekelenburg of the Netherlands during a Group B match Saturday.Hide Caption 343 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – A Danish fan mugs before the match between the Netherlands and Denmark.Hide Caption 344 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands heads the ball during the match against Denmark.Hide Caption 345 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Ibrahim Afellay of the Netherlands goes airborne as Daniel Agger of Denmark defends.Hide Caption 346 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Robin van Persie of the Netherlands misses a chance at goal against Denmark.Hide Caption 347 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dutch fans look dejected at the final whistle during the Netherlands-Denmark match.Hide Caption 348 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Goalkeeper Stephan Andersen of Denmark celebrates with teammate Lars Jacobsen during the match against the Netherlands.Hide Caption 349 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Arjen Robben lies dejected on the pitch after the Netherlands' loss to Denmark on Saturday.Hide Caption 350 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Alan Dzagoev of Russia scores against Czech Republic on Friday, June 8.Hide Caption 351 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Alan Dzagoev of Russia celebrates scoring the team's third goal against Czech Republic.Hide Caption 352 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Roman Shirokov of Russia scores the team's second goal past Petr Cech of Czech Republic.Hide Caption 353 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Night settles over the Russia-Czech Republic match.Hide Caption 354 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Konstantin Zyryanov of Russia and Jan Rezek of Czech Republic collide.Hide Caption 355 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Wojciech Szczesny of Poland fouls Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece for a penalty.Hide Caption 356 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The best photos – Dimitris Salpigidis and Georgios Samaras of Greece celebrate their first goal against Poland.Hide Caption 357 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Lukasz Piszczek of Poland and Georgios Samaras of Greece battle for the ball during the opening match.Hide Caption 358 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Robert Lewandowski of Poland celebrates scoring the opening goal during the match against Greece.Hide Caption 359 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Polish fans cheer before the match between Poland and Greece.Hide Caption 360 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Players warm up before the match between Poland and Greece.Hide Caption 361 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – A young woman blows a kiss as she takes part in a parade before the opening match.Hide Caption 362 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Police officers stand in front of a poster showing a giant ball.Hide Caption 363 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Polish fans hold up banners before the Euro 2012 match between Poland and Greece.Hide Caption 364 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Fans of Poland's national soccer team wave from a train window.Hide Caption 365 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Greek and Polish fans cheer for their teams before the match.Hide Caption 366 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Mascots Slavko, left, and Slavek, right, pose before the match between Poland and Greece.Hide Caption 367 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Czech Republic fans cheer a few hours before the opening match.Hide Caption 368 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – Fans attend the Dutch team's training session.Hide Caption 369 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012: The best photosEuro 2012: The Best Photos – German and Portugese fans show off their nations' flags.Hide Caption 370 of 370 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death' Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death'Ronaldo's remit – Star player Cristiano Ronaldo is under pressure to lead Portugal into the quarterfinals of Euro 2012, with the Real Madrid forward having struggled to make the impact that was expected of him.Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death'Portugal's progress – Drawn in the tournament's most difficult group, the 2004 runners-up lost 1-0 to Germany and then snatched a 3-2 victory against Denmark.Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death'D-day for Dutch – The Netherlands need to beat Portugal by two goals to have any chance of going through, following Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by Germany.Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death''Oranje' despair – The Dutch fans have had little to cheer about following their team's opening 1-0 defeat against Denmark.Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death'German joy – Germany's supporters know their team will go through to the last eight with a draw against Denmark in Lviv on Sunday, and "Die Mannschaft" could possibly still qualify even after a defeat.Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Euro 2012's 'Group of Death'Denmark's destiny? – The Danes, champions in 1992, need a victory to guarantee a quarterfinal place but a draw will be enough if the Netherlands win.Hide Caption 6 of 6JUST WATCHEDPatrick Berger backs Czechs to progressReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPatrick Berger backs Czechs to progress 01:48JUST WATCHEDVitor Baia defends RonaldoReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVitor Baia defends Ronaldo 01:51The Russians had a better goal difference than the Greeks, who won the tournament in a huge shock in 2004, but went out on head-to-head record.Poland needed to win to go through, but a 72nd-minute strike from Petr Jiracek sent the Czechs top of the table and facing a quarterfinal against the runner-up from Group B -- which will be decided on Sunday.Greece 1-0 RussiaKaragounis experienced the high of sending his country through to the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time in eight years, but the 35-year-old may not get the chance to break his country's appearance record at Euro 2012.The midfielder will miss the quarterfinal after receiving his second yellow card of the group stages, having been controversially booked for diving when it appeared that he had been fouled in the penalty area in the second half.With Greece leading 1-0, a second goal would have killed off Russia's hopes -- but instead a furious Karagounis missed a nailbiting climax to the match after demanding to be substituted before he was sent off for further remonstrating with Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson.Karagounis, who matched 2004 captain Theodoros Zagorakis' mark of 120 caps for Greece, repeated his act of scoring at the European Championship, having done so in the opening match against Portugal eight years ago.He surged through the Russian defense after Sergei Ignashevich failed to deal with a throw-in and fired a low shot past goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev in time added on at the end of the first half.Giorgos Tzavellas almost made it 2-0 with 20 minutes to play, but his curling left-foot free kick bounced to safety off the post.After that it was all Russia, but Igor Denisov was twice denied by goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis.It marked a disappointing end to the two-year reign of Advocaat, who will now return to his homeland with a post at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven."The other team just defended. With all due respect, it was hard to play against them. But it's not that we didn't play well," Advocaat said.JUST WATCHEDZenden: Holland must take their chancesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHZenden: Holland must take their chances 02:30JUST WATCHEDSalgado: Torres must startReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSalgado: Torres must start 02:40JUST WATCHEDEye-witness describes Warsaw violenceReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHEye-witness describes Warsaw violence 02:40 "We were undefeated for 16 games but we didn't win today. That's football. All compliments to Greece."Czech Republic 1-0 PolandPoland had high hopes of making the most of home advantage in Wroclaw, but could not beat a Czech team that bounced back from their opening 4-1 crushing by Russia to top the group with six points.Jiracek followed up his opening goal from the 2-1 win over Poland with another vital strike.The 26-year-old midfielder, who plays for German club Wolfsburg, cut inside to beat goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton after being fed by veteran striker Milan Baros on the counter attack following good work by Tomas Hubschman.Poland poured forward in search of an equalizer, which by itself would not have been enough, but Michal Kadlec cleared a late effort off the line."We started badly and let the occasion get to us a little bit, the home side capitalized on our mistakes," Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech said."But with time we got better, we created chances and then scored a deserved goal."The Czechs will next go to Warsaw on June 21, where their opponents will likely be Portugal, Denmark or Holland. The Greeks are likely to face unbeaten Germany in Gdansk.Poland coach Franciszek Smuda is now expected to be replaced, as his contract has ended."We know we had the chance to win but they (the Czech) played excellent football and they scored a goal," he told reporters."We had several opportunities in the first half but we didn't take our chances."	5sport
Story highlightsSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in's parents fled from North Korea during the Korean War.He is a former human rights lawyer, who was jailed for taking part in protests as a student.Seoul, South Korea (CNN)Arriving at the Blue House, the sprawling executive office and residence of the South Korean head of state, brings back memories. Just a few years ago, CNN was invited to the same room to interview Park Geun-hye -- now the first South Korean president to be impeached.Today, we're here to meet her successor, President Moon Jae-in.In stark contrast to Park, who was perceived as "disconnected," Moon is known as the approachable and humble president. He once said he wanted to be the leader "who could share a glass of soju (a Korean alcohol) with the public after work." Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – Born to North Korean refugee parents, Moon Jae-in is a former special forces soldier.Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – In 1972, he began to study for a law degree. As a student, he took part in protests against the dictatorship of the then-president Park Chung-hee and was arrested. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – He passed his law exams while in jail, going on to become a human rights lawyer.Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – He met his wife, classical vocalist Kim Jung-sook, at university.Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – The two married in 1981.Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – The couple has two children together. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – As a human rights lawyer, Moon fought for democracy and labor rights.Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – In 2003, when friend and colleague Roh Moo-hyun (left) was elected as president, Moon agreed to serve as his chief of staff.Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – In his autobiography, Moon says he never felt comfortable in that position.Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – Roh committed suicide in 2009, after which Moon began to focus more on politics. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – Moon first ran for office back in 2012, but lost out to the now-impeached former president Park Geun-hye.Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – After Park was ousted, Moon campaigned on promises to address social inequality and the lack of economic opportunity in South Korea.Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – His campaign vows won him favor with younger voters.Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: From then to now: South Korean president Moon Jae-inMoon Jae-in – Since taking office, Moon has been a popular figure, achieving a nearly 80% approval rating in his first 100 days in office. Hide Caption 14 of 14He arrives dressed in his signature dark suit and tie, his eyes warm and his smile fatherly, greeting the room with the same down-to-earth demeanor he projects to the public.Read MoreWe talk for over an hour but it's not until the end of our interview that we pose the vital question: What kind of president do you want to be?His answer is straightforward, and ambitious."The president who achieved a true democracy. The president who built a peaceful relationship between the North and the South. The president who achieved a more equal and fair economy."That's how I want to be remembered." North Korean refugee parentsA former special forces soldier and human rights lawyer, Moon was elected into office after winning 41% of the public vote in May. Younger voters liked his campaign vows to address social inequality and the lack of economic opportunity, but the older generation was disheartened by what they perceived to be his softer stance on Pyongyang.Still, many South Koreans look to him as a healer, tasked with bringing together a country left reeling from the corruption scandal that ended Park's political career and heightened tensions between North Korea and the United States. JUST WATCHEDMoon Jae-in on North Korea and the United StatesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMoon Jae-in on North Korea and the United States 07:54The unfolding crisis on the Korean Peninsula strikes a personal note with Moon: his parents were North Korean refugees."My parents fled from North Korea during the Korean War because they despised the North Korean Communist regime. They fled to seek freedom and came to South Korea ... (they) always longed to go back and reunite with their families."However, they were not able to realize this dream."The power of the eggMoon was born on the South Korean island of Geoje, before his family settled in the southern seaside town of Busan.As a law student in the 1970s, Moon was arrested and jailed after taking part in pro-democracy rallies against the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee, the father of Park Geun-hye.People said (protesting) was like hitting a stone with an egg, but I still believed in the strength of the egg.Moon Jae-inRecalling his days as a student protestor, Moon says: "At that time, people said it was like hitting a stone with an egg, but I still believed in the strength of the egg."Moon passed the bar in jail and became a human rights lawyer, fighting for democracy and labor rights while the country was under military rule.When his good friend and colleague Roh Moo-hyun became president in 2003, Moon joined his administration as chief of staff.He left Roh's administration in 2008, only returning to politics after Roh's suicide amid corruption charges in 2009.In 2012, Moon made his first bid for the presidency. The opponent he narrowly lost out to? Park Geun-hye.Pyeongchang 2018Next February, Moon will host in Pyeongchang one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the Winter Olympics. It will be the first Olympics on South Korean soil since the Seoul Summer Games three decades ago. JUST WATCHEDMoon Jae-in reflects on his early days and looks to the futureReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMoon Jae-in reflects on his early days and looks to the future 07:23"In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea which was a divided country ... It was an opportunity for the East and the West to come together in harmony and also take a significant role in ending the Cold War era." The 1988 games featured the largest ever number of participating nations during the Cold War era, although North Korea and Cuba stayed away.Moon says he's hoping that the Pyeongchang Olympics will ease tensions with North Korea."I hope North Korea will also participate which will provide a very good opportunity for inter-Korean peace and reconciliation," he says. While some are concerned about security amid the escalating tensions with North Korea, Moon stressed that there is no need to worry about safety, calling South Korea one of the safest places in the world. A spot of gardeningAfter a while, we suggest going for a stroll with the president in the Blue House gardens. It was there, in the midst of the well-kept greenery, that we passed a group of visitors touring the compound -- the Blue House is open to the public.As Moon entered their line of vision, there was screaming and a rush of bodies towards the president. Despite the worried looks on his bodyguards' faces, he greeted the crowd happily, giving out hugs and shaking hands with the group. I have been making efforts in approaching the people and to be with people.Moon Jae-inHe even suggested taking a selfie."So, that happens every day?" we ask."Yes," he says, as we walked away, his fans in the distance screaming, "I love you!" and "You're so cool!""When the visitors and I bump into each other, we take pictures, people also like that they get to meet the president," he explains. "The structure of the Blue House separates (government) from people ... so I try to lower the wall of security. I have been making efforts in approaching the people and to be with people."Man of the peopleSon of North Korean refugees. Former human rights lawyer. Student protestor. Moon has been down many walks of life.As he attempts to mend South Korea's relationship with the North, Moon says he believes the success of his administration lies in communicating with the people of South Korea."In that, I believe, is a way to unite the Republic of Korea and heal the wounds of the people." Does he have any role models for good political communication? "Barack Obama," he tells us. It's not a bad comparison.CNN's Taehoon Lee, KJ Kwon and freelancer Jake Kwon contributed to this article.	3news
Story highlightsWest Ham threaten bus attackers with lifetime bansManchester United team bus attacked prior to kick offEnglish Football Association working with policeMetropolitan Police confirm four officers suffered minor injuries (CNN)It was supposed to be a night of celebration as a leading English Premier League club marked the end of a 112-year stay at its historic ground ahead of a move to the Olympic Stadium.Instead, it will be largely remembered for the ugly scenes that erupted before West Ham's game with Manchester United Tuesday, after the visitors' bus was attacked as it crept towards the Boleyn Ground.Follow @cnnsport JUST WATCHEDViolence taints Upton Park farewellReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHViolence taints Upton Park farewell 00:10Both West Ham and the English Football Association have promised to find the culprits of the bus attack, with the London club threatening life bans to any supporters found guilty."It was an extraordinary night full of extraordinary moments in front of extraordinary fans," the club said in a statement after the game, referring to West Ham's dramatic 3-2 comeback win.A night to make you proud to be Claret and Blue #WHUFC #FarewellBoleyn pic.twitter.com/MxGEPzDhho— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) May 11, 2016 "Ninety-nine percent of whom behaved impeccably and were a credit to the club. However, we are aware that there were some supporters outside the Boleyn Ground who didn't act in an appropriate way when the Manchester United team bus was damaged.Read More"That was not acceptable and we will work with the police to identify those responsible and ban them for life."A video taken by Manchester United star Jesse Lingard inside the team bus showed the squad lying down in the isle as projectiles hit its windows, partly smashing the outer tinting.Lingard filmed the ordeal... pic.twitter.com/JRLCtNXR9A— Oddschecker (@Oddschecker) May 10, 2016 The match was delayed by 45 minutes after the United coach became stuck outside the stadium car park as throngs of fans lined the streets prior to kick off.Footage also emerged of bottles being thrown at United goalkeeper David De Gea as he celebrated Anthony Martial's equalizer, while another fan ran onto the pitch and confronted the Spain international following Winston Reid's winning goal."The FA strongly condemns the unsavory incidents this evening involving both the Manchester United team coach outside West Ham United's Boleyn Ground and objects thrown from a section of the home support during the game," the footballing body said on Twitter.Lighting up a true football legend #FarewellBoleyn #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/nVHiTqHHrY— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) May 10, 2016 "We will work closely with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to fully investigate these matters."West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan last night denied the coach had been attacked, but has since released a statement apologizing to Tuesday's opponents."When I was asked about the incident prior to yesterday's game, I was unaware of the damage that had occurred to the Manchester United team bus," the statement read. "I want to apologize to Manchester United for that damage and assure them that we will be doing all we can to track down those responsible and ban them for life."The bus carrying the Manchester United team is escorted by police after having a window smashed on its way to West Ham's Boleyn groundIt's not the first time this season that United have had problems arriving for a game in London. In April, Tottenham's Premier League game with United was delayed by 30 minutes as the visitors' team bus was stuck in traffic.The Metropolitan Police confirmed that four male officers suffered minor injuries, while three fans had been arrested during the game -- two for pitch incursions."The circumstances before the match were unusual and that will be an influence but I'm not looking for excuses," said United manager Louis van Gaal, though the Manchester club is yet to officially comment on the incident.JUST WATCHEDKeys to Leicester City's EPL titleReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHKeys to Leicester City's EPL title 02:19	5sport
(CNN)Five emergency responders were killed when a helicopter crashed during a search and rescue operation in the French Alps, French President Emmanuel Macron said. Macron tweeted Tuesday that the crash took place in the Savoie department. One person was injured in the incident and is "fighting for their life." Three of the victims were members of the French Air Rescue and two were from the CRS Alps, a mountain police unit that provides medical and rescue services. Macron said that the France nation would support the "families, friends and colleagues of these French heroes." Pascal Bolot, a Savoie official, said at a news conference Tuesday night that the pilot of the crash was being evacuated in "difficult condition."Read MoreAn investigation is ongoing.	3news
(CNN)Cristiano Ronaldo has become the all-time leading goalscorer in men's international football, scoring his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal in a dramatic comeback win against Ireland in World Cup qualifying.The Portuguese captain scored two late headers to overturn a 1-0 deficit and surpass the previous record of 109 goals set by Iranian legend Ali Daei.John Egan had given Ireland a shock lead at the end of the first half in Wednesday's match, after Ronaldo missed an earlier penalty. However, the 36-year-old's two late goals ensured Portugal remains in pole position in Group A after four matches."I can't even start to express myself in words! I'm thrilled with an overwhelming sensation!" Ronaldo wrote on Instagram after the game. "From all the records that I have broken during my career -- and fortunately there have been a few -- this one is very special for me and it's certainly on the shelf of the achievements that make me truly proud."Another reason for me to appreciate this achievement as much as I do right now, is because Ali Daei has set the standards in such a high level, that at some point even I started thinking that I might never catch him. Read MoreREAD: The best transfer window ever? European clubs splurge on marquee signingsCristiano Ronaldo has become the all-time leading goalscorer in men's international football."Congratulations to the 'Shariar' for holding the record for so long and thanks for always showing so much respect for me every time I scored and as I became closer and closer to his outstanding number."Daei scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006, a record that Ronaldo equaled at the recent European Championships.Ronaldo made his debut for Portgual in 2003 and last night's appearance was his 180th for his country, bringing him level with Sergio Ramos for the men's European cap record.The Manchester United forward, who secured a sensational return to his former club last week, is also the top scorer in Champions League history with 134 goals and European Championship history with 14 goals.Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, helped Portugal win Euro 2016, its first major international trophy.	5sport
Story highlightsDeputy foreign policy chiefs from Iran, EU will meet for talks this week in GenevaThe talks will focus on how to implement a deal to limit Tehran's nuclear program The deal was agreed between Tehran and six world powers in NovemberWorld powers believe Iran wants nuclear arms, but it insists its intentions are peacefulEnvoys from Iran and the European Union will meet at the end of this week in Switzerland for talks on the implementation of a deal that requires Tehran to limit its nuclear program.The meeting was reported by Iranian state news agency IRNA and confirmed by a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.Ashton's deputy, Helga Schmid, and Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, will take part in the meeting in Geneva, Ashton spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said.The nuclear deal struck in November between six world powers and Iran calls for Tehran to limit its nuclear activities in return for a relaxation of sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said Tuesday that a timetable for implementation would be set after a few issues were resolved, according to IRNA. Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reached Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reachedIran nuclear deal reached – Chief negotiator Catherine Ashton and Iran's foreign minister announce agreement on Iran's nuclear program early on Sunday, November 24 in Geneva. Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reachedIran nuclear deal reached – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, left, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius react after the announcement. Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reachedIran nuclear deal reached – EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry embrace after the statement.Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reachedIran nuclear deal reached – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry embraces French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Photos: Iran nuclear deal reachedIran nuclear deal reached – EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius share a hug while German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talk. Hide Caption 5 of 5JUST WATCHEDBusinesses benefit from Iran's nuclear accord ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBusinesses benefit from Iran's nuclear accord 07:13JUST WATCHEDRep.: Iran would be 'stupid' to break dealReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRep.: Iran would be 'stupid' to break deal 03:13Afkham said more details on the process would be made public after the meeting between Schmid and Araqchi, the news agency said.State-run Iranian media reported last week that a deal had been reached in negotiations between Tehran and the six world powers -- the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany -- to begin implementing the agreement in late January.But U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said then that progress had been made but the implementation plan was still to be finalized.The deal has been widely hailed as a successful interim measure to stave off an unwanted conflict over Tehran's nuclear program. But after initially celebrating a diplomatic success, Iran has reportedly lashed out at the United States for making public a modified version of the agreement that does not reflect Tehran's interpretation.Late last month, Iranian lawmakers drafted a bill that would force the government to enrich uranium up to 60% if new sanctions are imposed, state media reported.The move came only days after bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would authorize new economic sanctions on Iran if it breaches an interim agreement to limit its nuclear program or fails to strike a final accord terminating those ambitions.The United States and other Western powers believe Iran is attempting to build a bomb through uranium enrichment. But Tehran says its nuclear intentions are peaceful.	3news
Story highlightsGermany has set $6 billion aside to care for 800,000 refugees this yearThe government says it may take in another 500,000 for years to comeMany Germans have opened their homes to refugees -- but some aren't so sureBerlin (CNN)One morning, as we set up to broadcast live in front of the Munich train station, we watched as a group of new arrivals stepped off the train from Budapest to register as refugees. There were several families from Syria, a clutch of young men from Pakistan and a couple from Afghanistan. They passed through the medical tents, looking dazed from their long journey. A few meters away, a crowd of local residents gathered to watch the new arrivals, spontaneously applauding as one refugee after another came through the medical screening. A young man held up a cardboard sign, decorated with sunflowers, that said "Welcome to Germany." A middle-aged woman came with a bag of toys and candy, offering them to every refugee child that came through. But not everyone was so welcoming. "Soon, it will be millions coming in!" grumbled one retiree as he watched the refugees trickling in. "Millions! And how will we pay for all of them?" he asked rhetorically to the young couple who waited patiently beside him. Read MoreJUST WATCHEDMerkel calls for volunteers to help house refugeesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMerkel calls for volunteers to help house refugees 02:13German Chancellor Angela Merkel had an answer for him that day: More than 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) will now be set aside to house and care for 800,000 new refugee applicants this year. And Germany may even take in another 500,000 for several years to come. It's a staggering number for any nation to take. For Germany, it represents 1% of the population. "This crisis will change our nation," Merkel said in a national address. "But I think we are up for the challenge."READ MORE: How you can help refugeesThe benefitsGermany needs more people. It has the lowest birthrate in the world, 8.2 births for every 1,000 people, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.At the same, time life expectancy is soaring -- 84 for women and 88 for men -- and Germany is desperate for workers to boost its aging and shrinking population. Which explains why Assad Baloch, a former human rights activist from Pakistan, is busy learning how to build a deadbolt lock from scratch. We met him at a metal workshop in Berlin, part of a city government project to match refugees with employers desperate to find work. Their motto: "'Refugee' is not a career."JUST WATCHEDPutting refugees to workReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPutting refugees to work 02:41"Electricians -- everyone needs electricians and plumbers and roofers," says project manager Anton Schunemann. The idea is to give refugees a jump-start in the job market. There are German language lessons and also a crash course in German work culture. Every two weeks, participants sign up to learn a new skill, anything from baking to roofing. "They have to work here every day for eight hours," explains Schunemann. "They have to be here at 8 o'clock. In some countries it's different. You work for two or three days for 20 hours and then you have three weeks off. They have to know about a lot of the rules. You have to know about job interviews. In a lot of countries, they don't have that."READ MORE: Germany's road to redemptionThe costs Still, programs like this cost money. Merkel has promised that she will not raise taxes to cover the 6 billion-euro cost expected as a result of the refugee crisis. But her political allies aren't happy with her decision to lay out the welcome mat."We cannot take in all the refugees coming from all the different countries of the world," said Horst Seehofer, president of the Christian Social Union, the sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats. "No society can withstand this permanently -- we can help, but we need to be fair."Despite the overwhelmingly warm welcome to refugees from many Germans, there is also an undeniable segment of society that is fearful and angry about the influx. Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photos Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA woman cries after being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea about 15 miles north of Sabratha, Libya, on July 25, 2017. More than 6,600 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in January 2018, according to the UN migration agency, and more than 240 people died on the Mediterranean Sea during that month.Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees and migrants get off a fishing boat at the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey in October 2015.Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosHide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants step over dead bodies while being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Libya in October 2016. Agence France-Presse photographer Aris Messinis was on a Spanish rescue boat that encountered several crowded migrant boats. Messinis said the rescuers counted 29 dead bodies -- 10 men and 19 women, all between 20 and 30 years old. "I've (seen) in my career a lot of death," he said. "I cover war zones, conflict and everything. I see a lot of death and suffering, but this is something different. Completely different."Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosAuthorities stand near the body of 2-year-old Alan Kurdi on the shore of Bodrum, Turkey, in September 2015. Alan, his brother and their mother drowned while fleeing Syria. This photo was shared around the world, often with a Turkish hashtag that means "Flotsam of Humanity."Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants board a train at Keleti station in Budapest, Hungary, after the station was reopened in September 2015.Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosChildren cry as migrants in Greece try to break through a police cordon to cross into Macedonia in August 2015. Thousands of migrants -- most of them fleeing Syria's bitter conflict -- were stranded in a no-man's land on the border.Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosThe Kusadasi Ilgun, a sunken 20-foot boat, lies in waters off the Greek island of Samos in November 2016. Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants bathe outside near a makeshift shelter in an abandoned warehouse in Subotica, Serbia, in January 2017.Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA police officer in Calais, France, tries to prevent migrants from heading for the Channel Tunnel to England in June 2015.Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA migrant walks past a burning shack in the southern part of the "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais, France, in March 2016. Part of the camp was being demolished -- and the inhabitants relocated -- in response to unsanitary conditions at the site.Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants stumble as they cross a river north of Idomeni, Greece, attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border-control fence in March 2016.Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosIn September 2015, an excavator dumps life vests that were previously used by migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos.Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosThe Turkish coast guard helps refugees near Aydin, Turkey, after their boat toppled en route to Greece in January 2016.Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA woman sits with children around a fire at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni in March 2016.Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA column of migrants moves along a path between farm fields in Rigonce, Slovenia, in October 2015.Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA ship crowded with migrants flips onto its side in May 2016 as an Italian navy ship approaches off the coach of Libya. Passengers had rushed to the port side, a shift in weight that proved too much. Five people died and more than 500 were rescued.Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees break through a barbed-wire fence on the Greece-Macedonia border in February 2016, as tensions boiled over regarding new travel restrictions into Europe.Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosPolicemen try to disperse hundreds of migrants by spraying them with fire extinguishers during a registration procedure in Kos, Greece, in August 2015.Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA member of the humanitarian organization Sea-Watch holds a migrant baby who drowned following the capsizing of a boat off Libya in May 2016.Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosA migrant in Gevgelija, Macedonia, tries to sneak onto a train bound for Serbia in August 2015.Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosMigrants, most of them from Eritrea, jump into the Mediterranean from a crowded wooden boat during a rescue operation about 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya, in August 2016.Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosRefugees rescued off the Libyan coast get their first sight of Sardinia as they sail in the Mediterranean Sea toward Cagliari, Italy, in September 2015.Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosLocal residents and rescue workers help migrants from the sea after a boat carrying them sank off the island of Rhodes, Greece, in April 2015.Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosInvestigators in Burgenland, Austria, inspect an abandoned truck that contained the bodies of refugees who died of suffocation in August 2015. The 71 victims -- most likely fleeing war-ravaged Syria -- were 60 men, eight women and three children.Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: Europe's migration crisis in 25 photosSyrian refugees sleep on the floor of a train car taking them from Macedonia to the Serbian border in August 2015. How to help the ongoing migrant crisisHide Caption 26 of 26On the day that Merkel announced her plan to tackle the crisis, a fire burned down a shelter housing 80 refugees near Stuttgart. The blaze started at around 2 a.m. and took more than 100 firefighters to get under control. Five refugees were brought to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and the entire building is now uninhabitable. Police believe the fire was probably started by right-wing extremists. The number of anti-immigrant attacks has more than doubled this year. Police have recorded more than 340 hate crime incidents since January, from anti-refugee graffiti on shelters to arson attacks. At one shelter we visited, the German manager was happy to talk to news media but did not want his full name used for fear of violent attacks by extremists. A warm welcome That specter of violence casts a shadow over what is otherwise a national outpouring of support for refugees. Hundreds have donated money, clothing and blankets. Aid groups are inundated with volunteers wanting to help, and private citizens are now offering their homes to refugees. One woman we spoke to decided to volunteer a room in her home to a Syrian refugee through a local church group. "I just decided: Why not a refugee?" she said. "I prefer to give a room to a responsible adult who is working hard to make a new life there than, for an example, an American student who's here to learn German."JUST WATCHEDGermans open homes to refugeesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGermans open homes to refugees 03:39Over a cup of freshly brewed coffee, she happily chatted with her new housemate Hazem, a 30-year old from Homs, Syria, about the basics of life here -- from the complexities of Germany's recycling laws and transportation systems to which German sausages contain pork.But while Hazem was happy to be quoted, the woman hosting him did not want her name published or her home identified for fear of attacks by right-wing extremists.Hazem seems unfazed by this, however. He paid people-smugglers more than $7,000, trying multiple times to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, before finally rowing a boat from Turkey to Greece and swimming across a river to Macedonia. He hopes to bring his wife and two children to Germany, if his request for asylum is granted. Learning a new language, he says, is the most difficult part of adjusting to his new life."All I could hear was 'ich, ich, ich,'" he said. "Everyone sounded so angry. But now I can understand a little, I think the language is really beautiful. I am happy here -- very happy." READ MORE: CNN's full coverage of the refugee crisis	3news
Odessa, Ukraine (CNN)Each morning I hope it will be easier to process. But nearly a fortnight into this war, the conflict still seems surreally distant and alarmingly beyond comprehension. Try to ask yourself "how is this happening?" and you lurch out over an abyss so profound it is beyond the reach of your senses. And even if Putin does think he can get his old empire back, how do these 13 days of savagery make that happen?The slow and clumsy Russian campaign for the south has been the most baffling. It is clear what Moscow wants: To cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea.What is hard to fathom is whether the Kremlin's plan to get it has collapsed, and Russian troops are just throwing rockets and tanks at anything they can, or whether this sort of total war against Ukrainians was always the plan. Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe Retroville shopping mall in Kyiv, Ukraine, is seen on Monday, March 21, after Russian shelling.Hide Caption 1 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian servicemen search through rubble inside the Retroville shopping mall in Kyiv.Hide Caption 2 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople share dinner and sing "Happy Birthday" during a celebration in Kyiv on March 20. This studio space has turned into a bomb shelter for approximately 25 artists who are volunteering to help the war effort. Hide Caption 3 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineFormer Ukrainian Parliament member Tetiana Chornovol, now a service member and operator of an anti-tank guided missile system, examines a Russian tank she destroyed in a recent battle in the Kyiv region.Hide Caption 4 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople gather in a basement during an air raid in Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 19.Hide Caption 5 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian serviceman stands among debris after shelling in a residential area in Kyiv on Friday, March 18. Hide Caption 6 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUS President Joe Biden holds a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in this photo that was released by the White House on March 18. Biden sought to use the 110-minute call to dissuade Xi from assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine.Hide Caption 7 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineStaff members attend to a child March 18 at the Zaporizhzhia Regional Children's Clinical Hospital.Hide Caption 8 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin attends a rally at a stadium in Moscow on March 18. Speaking from a stage in front of a banner that read "for a world without Nazism," Putin said Russia "will definitely implement all our plans" in Ukraine. He insisted that national unity was the strongest in a long time, even as many people flee Russia or protest against war in the streets. State workers were told by authorities to attend the celebration, which commemorated the eighth year of Russia's annexation of Crimea.Hide Caption 9 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman reacts while speaking outside a destroyed apartment block in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Thursday, March 17.Hide Caption 10 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky receives a standing ovation as he virtually addresses the US Congress on Wednesday, March 16. The historic speech occurred as the United States is under pressure to provide more military assistance to the embattled country.Hide Caption 11 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn elderly woman is helped by police officers after she was rescued from an apartment that was hit by shelling in Kyiv on Tuesday, March 15.Hide Caption 12 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineFirefighters work to extinguish flames at an apartment building in Kyiv on March 15.Hide Caption 13 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMilitary cadets attend a funeral ceremony at a church in Lviv on March 15. The funeral was for four of the Ukrainian servicemen who were killed during an airstrike on the Yavoriv military base near the Polish border. Local authorities say 35 people were killed.Hide Caption 14 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman walks past a damaged window to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial for victims in Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 15.Hide Caption 15 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineFirefighters search a building for survivors after an attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday, March 14. At least one dead body was pulled from the rubble after hours of digging.Hide Caption 16 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian soldiers take cover from incoming artillery fire in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 13.Hide Caption 17 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian soldier surveys a destroyed government building in Kharkiv on March 13.Hide Caption 18 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA mother and son rest in Lviv, Ukraine, while waiting to board a train to Poland on March 12.Hide Caption 19 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn explosion is seen at an apartment building in Mariupol on March 11. The city in southeastern Ukraine has been besieged by Russian forces.Hide Caption 20 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMariana Vishegirskaya's husband, Yuri, holds their newborn daughter, Veronika, at a hospital in Mariupol on March 11. Vishegirskaya survived the maternity hospital bombing in the city earlier in the week.Hide Caption 21 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople pay their respects during a funeral service for three Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv on March 11. Senior Soldier Andrii Stefanyshyn, 39; Senior Lt. Taras Didukh, 25; and Sgt. Dmytro Kabakov, 58, were laid to rest at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church. Even in this sacred space, the sounds of war intruded: an air raid siren audible under the sound of prayer and weeping. Yet no one stirred. Residents are now inured to the near-daily warnings of an air attack.Hide Caption 22 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gives a news conference after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Antalya, Turkey, on March 10. Two weeks into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Lavrov falsely claimed that his country "did not attack" its neighbor.Hide Caption 23 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA resident takes shelter in a basement in Irpin on March 10. Due to heavy fighting, Irpin has been without heat, water or electricity for several days.Hide Caption 24 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineEmergency workers carry an injured pregnant woman outside of a bombed maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9. The woman and her baby later died, a surgeon who was treating her confirmed. The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour pause in hostilities to allow refugees to evacuate.Hide Caption 25 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian servicemen work inside the damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9. "The destruction is enormous," the city council said. "The building of the medical facility where the children were treated recently is completely destroyed."Hide Caption 26 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineDead bodies are placed into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol on March 9. With overflowing morgues and repeated shelling, the city has been unable to hold proper burials.Hide Caption 27 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineCars drive past a destroyed Russian tank as civilians leave Irpin on March 9. A Ukrainian official said lines of vehicles stretched for miles as people tried to escape fighting in districts to the north and northwest of Kyiv.Hide Caption 28 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA displaced Ukrainian mother embraces her child while waiting at the Przemysl railway station in Poland on March 8.Hide Caption 29 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian serviceman walks past the remains of a Russian aircraft lying in a damaged building in Kharkiv on March 8.Hide Caption 30 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is displayed on a screen as he addresses British lawmakers via video on March 8. "We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost," he said in his comments translated by an interpreter. The House of Commons gave Zelensky a standing ovation at the end of his address.Hide Caption 31 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA firefighter works to extinguish flames after a chemical warehouse was reportedly hit by Russian shelling near Kalynivka, Ukraine, on March 8.Hide Caption 32 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAlexandra, 12, holds her 6-year-old sister, Esyea, who cries as she waves at her mother, Irina, on March 7. The children were leaving Odesa, Ukraine.Hide Caption 33 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMembers of the Red Cross help people fleeing the Kyiv suburb of Irpin on March 7.Hide Caption 34 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe dead bodies of civilians killed while trying to flee are covered by sheets in Irpin on March 6. CNN determined they were killed in a Russian military strike.Hide Caption 35 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineCivilians seek protection in a basement bomb shelter in Kyiv on March 6.Hide Caption 36 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineLocal residents help clear the rubble of a home that was destroyed by a suspected Russian airstrike in Markhalivka, Ukraine, on March 5.Hide Caption 37 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineGeorge Keburia says goodbye to his wife and children as they board a train in Odesa on March 5. They were heading to Lviv.Hide Caption 38 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA statue is covered in Lviv on March 5. Residents wrapped statues in protective sheets to try to safeguard historic monuments across the city.Hide Caption 39 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee across the Irpin River on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 5.Hide Caption 40 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMarina Yatsko runs behind her boyfriend, Fedor, as they arrive at the hospital with her 18-month-old son, Kirill, who was wounded by shelling in Mariupol on March 4. Medical workers frantically tried to save the boy's life, but he didn't survive.Hide Caption 41 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople remove personal belongings from a burning house after shelling in Irpin on March 4.Hide Caption 42 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineOksana and her son Dmytro stand over the open casket of her husband, Volodymyr Nezhenets, during his funeral in Kyiv on March 4. According to the Washington Post, he was a member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, which is comprised mostly of volunteers.Hide Caption 43 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople crowd on a platform as they try to board a westbound train in Kyiv on March 4.Hide Caption 44 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA bullet-ridden bus is seen after an ambush in Kyiv on March 4.Hide Caption 45 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople take shelter on the floor of a hospital during shelling in Mariupol on March 4.Hide Caption 46 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA member of the Ukrainian military gives instructions to civilians in Irpin on March 4. They were about to board an evacuation train headed to Kyiv.Hide Caption 47 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSurveillance camera footage shows a flare landing at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, during shelling on March 4. Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces have "occupied" the power plant.Hide Caption 48 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian child rests on a bed at a temporary refugee center in Záhony, Hungary, on March 4.Hide Caption 49 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA residential building destroyed by shelling is seen in Borodyanka, Ukraine, on March 3. Russian forces have shown a "willingness to hit civilian infrastructure on purpose," a senior US defense official told reporters.Hide Caption 50 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineLeos Leonid recovers at a hospital in Kyiv on March 3. The 64-year-old survived being crushed when an armored vehicle drove over his car. Video of the incident was widely shared on social media.Hide Caption 51 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian soldier carries a baby across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 3.Hide Caption 52 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineResidents react in front of a burning building after shelling in Kharkiv on March 3.Hide Caption 53 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian soldier who says he was shot three times in the opening days of the invasion sits on a hospital bed in Kyiv on March 3.Hide Caption 54 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople form a human chain to transfer supplies into Kyiv on March 3.Hide Caption 55 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA cemetery worker digs graves for Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv on March 3.Hide Caption 56 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA mother cares for her two infant sons in the underground shelter of a maternity hospital in Kyiv on March 3. She gave birth a day earlier, and she and her husband haven't yet decided on names for the twins.Hide Caption 57 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces sits with a weapon in Kyiv on March 2.Hide Caption 58 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineParamedics treat an elderly woman wounded by shelling before transferring her to a hospital in Mariupol on March 2.Hide Caption 59 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineResidents of Zhytomyr, Ukraine, work in the remains of a residential building on March 2. The building was destroyed by shelling.Hide Caption 60 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman reads a story to children while they take shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on March 2.Hide Caption 61 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces inspects damage in the backyard of a house in Gorenka on March 2.Hide Caption 62 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian woman takes her children over the border in Siret, Romania, on March 2. Many Ukrainians are fleeing the country at a pace that could turn into "Europe's largest refugee crisis this century," the United Nations Refugee Agency said.Hide Caption 63 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMilitia members set up anti-tank barricades in Kyiv on March 2.Hide Caption 64 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople wait at a train station in Kyiv on March 2.Hide Caption 65 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on March 2.Hide Caption 66 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for a picture in a Kyiv bunker after an exclusive interview with CNN and Reuters on March 1. Zelensky said that as long as Moscow's attacks on Ukrainian cities continued, little progress could be made in talks between the two nations. "It's important to stop bombing people, and then we can move on and sit at the negotiation table," he said.Hide Caption 67 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn explosion is seen at a TV tower in Kyiv on March 1. Russian forces fired rockets near the tower and struck a Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv hours after warning of "high-precision" strikes on other facilities linked to Ukrainian security agencies.Hide Caption 68 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian soldiers attend Mass at an Orthodox monastery in Kyiv on March 1.Hide Caption 69 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMedical workers show a mother her newborn after she gave birth at a maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 1. The hospital is now also used as a medical ward and bomb shelter.Hide Caption 70 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn administrative building is seen in Kharkiv after Russian shelling on March 1. Russian forces have scaled up their bombardment of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.Hide Caption 71 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian emergency workers carry a body of a victim following shelling that hit the City Hall building in Kharkiv on March 1.Hide Caption 72 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman named Helen comforts her 8-year-old daughter, Polina, in the bomb shelter of a Kyiv children's hospital on March 1. The girl was at the hospital being treated for encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain.Hide Caption 73 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian refugees try to stay warm at the Medyka border crossing in Poland on March 1.Hide Caption 74 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineVolunteers in Kyiv sign up to join Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces on February 28.Hide Caption 75 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA member of the Territorial Defense Forces loads rifle magazines in Kyiv on February 28.Hide Caption 76 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineDelegations from Russia and Ukraine hold talks in Belarus on February 28. Both sides discussed a potential "ceasefire and the end of combat actions on the territory of Ukraine," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhaylo Podolyak told reporters. Without going into detail, Podolyak said that both sides would return to their capitals for consultations over whether to implement a number of "decisions."Hide Caption 77 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian forces order a man to the ground on February 28 as they increased security measures amid Russian attacks in Kyiv.Hide Caption 78 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA displaced Ukrainian cradles her child at a temporary shelter set up inside a gymnasium in Beregsurány, Hungary, on February 28.Hide Caption 79 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineRussian infantry mobility vehicles are destroyed after fighting in Kharkiv on February 28. A residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was hit by a rocket attack, according to Ukrainian officials and multiple social media videos geolocated by CNN. A civilian was killed and 31 people were wounded, the city's council said. Hide Caption 80 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe lifeless body of a 6-year-old girl, who according to the Associated Press was killed by Russian shelling in a residential area, lies on a medical cart at a hospital in Mariupol on February 27. The girl, whose name was not immediately known, was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.Hide Caption 81 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSmoke billows over the Ukrainian city of Vasylkiv, just outside Kyiv on February 27. A fire at an oil storage area was seen raging at the Vasylkiv Air Base.Hide Caption 82 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople wait on a platform inside the railway station in Lviv on February 27. Thousands of people at Lviv's main train station attempted to board trains that would take them out of Ukraine.Hide Caption 83 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Russian armored vehicle burns after fighting in Kharkiv on February 27. Street fighting broke out as Russian troops entered Ukraine's second-largest city, and residents were urged to stay in shelters and not travel.Hide Caption 84 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineLocal residents prepare Molotov cocktails in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on February 27.Hide Caption 85 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineCars line up on the road outside Mostyska, Ukraine, as people attempt to flee to Poland on February 27.Hide Caption 86 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian troops in Kyiv escort a prisoner February 27 who they suspected of being a Russian agent.Hide Caption 87 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian forces patrol mostly empty streets in Kyiv on February 27. Mayor Vitali Klitschko extended a citywide curfew.Hide Caption 88 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members take position at the Vasylkiv Air Base near Kyiv on February 27.Hide Caption 89 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman sleeps on chairs February 27 in the underground parking lot of a Kyiv hotel that has been turned into a bomb shelter.Hide Caption 90 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA damaged residential building is seen in Kyiv on February 26.Hide Caption 91 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople in Kyiv run for cover during shelling on February 26. Hide Caption 92 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn apartment building in Kyiv is seen after it was damaged by shelling on February 26. The outer walls of several apartment units appeared to be blown out entirely, with the interiors blackened and debris hanging loose. Hide Caption 93 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople in Kyiv take cover as an air-raid siren sounds February 26 near an apartment building that was damaged by shelling.Hide Caption 94 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA police vehicle patrols the streets of Kyiv on February 26.Hide Caption 95 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian troops inspect a site following a Russian airstrike in Kyiv on February 26.Hide Caption 96 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineFollowing a national directive to help complicate the invading Russian Army's attempts to navigate, a road worker removes signs near Pisarivka, Ukraine, on February 26.Hide Caption 97 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA man kneels in front of a Russian tank in Bakhmach, Ukraine, on February 26 as Ukrainian citizens attempted to stop the tank from moving forward. The dramatic scene was captured on video, and CNN confirmed its authenticity. The moment drew comparisons to the iconic "Tank Man" of Tiananmen Square.Hide Caption 98 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople in Kyiv board a train heading to the west of the country on February 26. Kelly Clements, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, told CNN that more than 120,000 people had left Ukraine while 850,000 were internally displaced.Hide Caption 99 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members look for and collect unexploded shells after fighting in Kyiv on February 26.Hide Caption 100 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSmoke and flames are seen near Kyiv on February 26. Explosions were seen and heard in parts of the capital as Ukrainians battled to hold back advancing Russian troops.Hide Caption 101 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe body of a Russian soldier lies next to a Russian vehicle outside Kharkiv on February 25.Hide Caption 102 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman weeps in her car after crossing the border from Ukraine into Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania, on February 25.Hide Caption 103 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian soldier sits injured from crossfire inside Kyiv on February 25.Hide Caption 104 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA child from Ukraine sleeps in a tent at a humanitarian center in Palanca, Moldova, on February 25.Hide Caption 105 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA firefighter walks between the ruins of a downed aircraft in Kyiv on February 25. Hide Caption 106 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineNewly married couple Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin pose for photo in Kyiv on February 25 after they joined the Territorial Defense Forces.Hide Caption 107 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMembers of the Ukrainian National Guard take positions in central Kyiv on February 25.Hide Caption 108 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople walk past a residential building in Kyiv that was hit in an alleged Russian airstrike on February 25.Hide Caption 109 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe body of a school employee, who according to locals was killed in recent shelling, lies in the separatist-controlled town of Horlivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region on February 25.Hide Caption 110 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineKyiv residents take shelter in an underground parking garage on February 25.Hide Caption 111 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineIn this handout photo from the Ukrainian government, firefighters respond to the scene of a residential building on fire in Kyiv on February 25. Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said the city had been hit by "cruise or ballistic missiles."Hide Caption 112 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA wounded woman stands outside a hospital after an attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Chuhuiv, outside of Kharkiv, on February 24.Hide Caption 113 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe body of a rocket remains in an apartment after shelling on the northern outskirts of Kharkiv on February 24.Hide Caption 114 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA boy plays with his tablet in a public basement used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv on February 24.Hide Caption 115 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA man mourns after an airstrike reportedly hit an apartment complex in Chuhuiv on February 24.Hide Caption 116 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSviatoslav Fursin, left, and Yaryna Arieva kneel during their wedding ceremony at the St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv on February 24. They had planned on getting married in May, but they rushed to tie the knot due to the attacks by Russian forces. "We maybe can die, and we just wanted to be together before all of that," Arieva said.Hide Caption 117 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members sit atop armored vehicles driving in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on February 24.Hide Caption 118 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople in Kyiv try to board a bus to travel west toward Poland on February 24.Hide Caption 119 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUS President Joe Biden arrives in the East Room of the White House to address the Russian invasion on February 24. "Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences," Biden said, laying out a set of measures that will "impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time."Hide Caption 120 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSmoke rises from a military airport in Chuhuiv on February 24. Airports were also hit in Boryspil, Kharkiv, Ozerne, Kulbakino, Kramatorsk and Chornobaivka.Hide Caption 121 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople seek shelter inside a subway station in Kharkiv on February 24.Hide Caption 122 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineRussian military vehicles are seen at the Chernobyl power plant near Pripyat, Ukraine, on February 24. Russian forces have seized control of the the plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, according to the agency that manages the area.Hide Caption 123 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople wait after boarding a bus to leave Kyiv on February 24.Hide Caption 124 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian President Zelensky holds an emergency meeting in Kyiv on February 24. In a video address, Zelensky announced that he was introducing martial law. He urged people to remain calm.Hide Caption 125 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePolice officers inspect the remains of a missile that landed in Kyiv on February 24.Hide Caption 126 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA staff member of a Kyiv hotel talks on the phone on February 24.Hide Caption 127 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSmoke rises from an air defense base after an apparent Russian strike in Mariupol on February 24. A CNN team in Mariupol reported hearing a barrage of artillery.Hide Caption 128 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople wait in line to buy train tickets at the central station in Kyiv on February 24.Hide Caption 129 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA long line of cars is seen exiting Kyiv on February 24. Heavy traffic appeared to be heading west, away from where explosions were heard early in the morning.Hide Caption 130 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA photo provided by the Ukrainian President's office appears to show an explosion in Kyiv early on February 24.Hide Caption 131 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople in Moscow watch a televised address by Russian President Vladimir Putin as he announces a military operation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on February 24. "Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so to create threats to our country, to our people, should know that Russia's response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences as you have never experienced in your history," he said.Hide Caption 132 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAn emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is held in New York to discuss the crisis on February 23. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop "attacking Ukraine" and to give peace a chance.Hide Caption 133 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA convoy of Russian military vehicles is seen February 23 in the Rostov region of Russia, which runs along Ukraine's eastern border.Hide Caption 134 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian soldiers talk in a shelter at the front line near Svitlodarsk, Ukraine, on February 23.Hide Caption 135 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSmoke rises from a damaged power plant in Shchastya that Ukrainian authorities say was hit by shelling on February 22.Hide Caption 136 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA damaged house is worked on after shelling near the Ukrainian front-line city of Novoluhanske on February 22.Hide Caption 137 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMourners gather at a church in Kyiv on February 22 for the funeral of Ukrainian Army Capt. Anton Sydorov. The Ukrainian military said he was killed by a shrapnel wound on February 19 after several rounds of artillery fire were directed at Ukrainian positions near Myronivske.Hide Caption 138 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian soldiers pay their respects during Sydorov's funeral in Kyiv on February 22.Hide Caption 139 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA sign displays conversion rates at a currency exchange kiosk in Kyiv on February 22. Global markets tumbled the day after Putin ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.Hide Caption 140 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineRussian howitzers are loaded onto train cars near Taganrog, Russia, on February 22.Hide Caption 141 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople who left a separatist-held region in eastern Ukraine watch an address by Putin from their hotel room in Taganrog, Russia, on February 21. Putin blasted Kyiv's growing security ties with the West, and in lengthy remarks about the history of the USSR and the formation of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, he appeared to cast doubt on Ukraine's right to self-determination.Hide Caption 142 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePutin signs decrees recognizing the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in a ceremony in Moscow on February 21. Earlier in the day, the heads of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics requested the Kremlin leader recognize their independence and sovereignty. Members of Putin's Security Council supported the initiative in a meeting earlier in the day.Hide Caption 143 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineProtesters demanding economic sanctions against Russia stand outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv on February 21. Only a small number of protesters showed up to demonstrate.Hide Caption 144 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineActivists hold a performance in front of the Russian embassy in Kyiv on February 21 in support of prisoners who were arrested in Crimea. They say the red doors are a symbol of the doors that were kicked in to search and arrest Crimean Tatars, a Muslim ethnic minority.Hide Caption 145 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian servicemen shop in the front-line town of Avdiivka, Ukraine, on February 21.Hide Caption 146 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople lay flowers at the Motherland Monument in Kyiv on February 21.Hide Caption 147 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA local resident shows the depth of a crater from shelling in a field behind his house in the village of Tamarchuk, Ukraine, on February 20.Hide Caption 148 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members are seen along the front line outside of Popasna, Ukraine, on February 20. Hide Caption 149 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople evacuated from the pro-Russian separatist regions of Ukraine are seen at a temporary shelter in Taganrog, Russia, on February 20.Hide Caption 150 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAnastasia Manha lulls her 2-month-old son Mykyta after alleged shelling by separatists forces in Novohnativka, Ukraine, on February 20. Hide Caption 151 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian soldier stays on position on the front line near Novohnativka on February 20. Hide Caption 152 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA couple arrives at the city council to get married in Odesa on February 20. As Ukrainian authorities reported further ceasefire violations and top Western officials warned about an impending conflict, life went on in other parts of the country.Hide Caption 153 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy, left, visits soldiers at a front-line position in Novoluhanske on February 19. Minutes after he left, the position came under fire. No one was injured.Hide Caption 154 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman rests in a car near a border checkpoint in Avilo-Uspenka, Russia, on February 19.Hide Caption 155 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA Ukrainian service member walks by a building on February 19 that was hit by mortar fire in the front-line village of Krymske, Ukraine.Hide Caption 156 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineFighter jets fly over Belarus during a joint military exercise the country held with Russia on February 19.Hide Caption 157 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian soldiers stand guard at a military command center in Novoluhanske on February 19.Hide Caption 158 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePeople sit on a bus in Donetsk on February 18 after they were ordered to evacuate to Russia by pro-Russian separatists.Hide Caption 159 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineThe remains of a military vehicle are seen in a parking lot outside a government building following an explosion in Donetsk on February 18. Ukrainian and US officials said the vehicle explosion was a staged attack designed to stoke tensions in eastern Ukraine.Hide Caption 160 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA memorial service and candlelight vigil is held at the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on February 18. They honored those who died in 2014 while protesting against the government of President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian leader who later fled the country.Hide Caption 161 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA kindergarten that officials say was damaged by shelling is seen in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine, on February 17. No lives were lost, but it was a stark reminder of the stakes for people living near the front lines that separate Ukrainian government forces from Russian-backed separatists.Hide Caption 162 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineChildren play on old Soviet tanks in front of the Motherland Monument in Kyiv on February 16.Hide Caption 163 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineAmbassadors of European countries lay roses at the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv on February 16. The wall contains the names and photographs of military members who have died since the conflict with Russian-backed separatists began in 2014.Hide Caption 164 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUS troops walk on the tarmac at the Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland on February 16. US paratroopers landed in Poland as part of a deployment of several thousand sent to bolster NATO's eastern flank in response to tensions with Russia.Hide Caption 165 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA 200-meter-long Ukrainian flag is unfolded at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv on February 16 to mark a "Day of Unity," an impromptu celebration declared by President Volodymyr Zelensky.Hide Caption 166 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineTravelers wait in line to check in to their departing flights February 15 at the Boryspil International Airport outside Kyiv. US President Joe Biden urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country, warning that "things could go crazy quickly" in the region.Hide Caption 167 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA location of Oschadbank, a state-owned bank, is seen in Kyiv on February 15. The websites of Oschadbank and PrivatBank, the country's two largest banks, were hit by cyberattacks that day, as were the websites of Ukraine's defense ministry and army, according to Ukrainian government agencies.Hide Caption 168 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineA woman and child walk underneath a military monument in Senkivka, Ukraine, on February 14. It's on the outskirts of the Three Sisters border crossing between Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.Hide Caption 169 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members talk at a front-line position in eastern Ukraine on February 14. Hide Caption 170 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineMembers of Ukraine's National Guard look out a window as they ride a bus through the capital of Kyiv on February 14.Hide Caption 171 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineSatellite images taken on February 13 by Maxar Technologies revealed that dozens of helicopters had appeared at a previously vacant airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea.Hide Caption 172 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkrainePro-Russian separatists observe the movement of Ukrainian troops from trenches in Ukraine's Donbas area on February 11.Hide Caption 173 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles that were delivered to Kyiv on February 10 as part of a US military support package for Ukraine.Hide Caption 174 of 175 Photos: Russia invades UkraineUkrainian service members walk on an armored fighting vehicle during a training exercise in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on February 10.Hide Caption 175 of 175Read MoreThe city of Kherson was the first to "fall," but that was not really what happened.As we watched the fight for the strategic bridge to the city's east, I tried to reassure locals that the Russian army had no interest in their homes and would drive on by, eager to get to Odessa, further west. JUST WATCHEDKimmitt: Smart tactic slows giant Russian convoy bound for KyivReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHKimmitt: Smart tactic slows giant Russian convoy bound for Kyiv 01:57But I was wrong -- again -- about the extent of Moscow's ambitions. (I have, since the first intelligence warnings about a full Russian invasion of Ukraine, felt the idea was so preposterous it must be born of an intelligence failure, not a historic intelligence success).'They shoot at anyone who tries to leave.' Ukrainians describe terror of living under Russian occupation Russian troops did enter the city of Kherson, where they were reported to have looted shops, arrested men, and shot in the air at protestors. The residents here call them "Orcs" -- the lumbering monsters from the Lord of the Rings.It is a marvel that Moscow was either so convinced civil disobedience would not be a problem or decided that they simply did not need a plan to deal with it. The Kremlin's attempt to film Russian aid trucks handing out the solution to the problem its invasion created was greeted with local scorn and profanity. The protests go on.The port of Mykolaiv is next on the Russian route to Odessa, Ukraine's third-largest city. The Russian "plan" for Mykolaiv is even more disconcertingly opaque. Shelling is a big part of it; over a week they have hit civilian targets there multiple times. Last weekend, when their missiles blew out the windows and roofs of civilian buildings as a consequence of a strike on Ukrainian armor in the city center, that may have been by accident. But this weekend -- even at the most generous assessment -- it was through carelessness so extreme it was surely criminal. They seem to just be lobbing rockets, into the city's suburbs, CNN seeing three instances where apparent cluster munitions had landed in residential areas. NATO on Friday said it had seen the use of cluster bombs by Russia in Ukraine. And again and again on Mykolaiv's outskirts, the Russians keep coming. The attacks seem to falter every time. At one roundabout, we saw a Russian Tigr armored vehicle on fire on Saturday, Ukrainian troops lying in defensive prone positions around it. JUST WATCHED'You betray me': Ukrainian's message to former Russian friendsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'You betray me': Ukrainian's message to former Russian friends 04:50Some 24 hours later, at the same spot, Ukrainian troops had found time to graffiti the unexploded rockets that landed around them with anti-Putin abuse, and the Russians had been pushed further back down the road. Farmers were clambering over an abandoned T90 tank, trying to get it started and quite quickly diagnosing it had a steering problem. That, and the tank having been trapped the ruins of a collapsed bridge, perhaps explains why it had been abandoned. But this was not a rare occasion. On Sunday, the regional governor Vitali Kim posted a video of himself inside another captured Russian Tigr vehicle.Another video showed what seemed to be a significant Russian artillery unit in flames, destroyed or abandoned. The person filming joked that the scarred machines' remains were what "is what's left of our 'brothers,' the ones that came to 'save us'" -- a reference to Moscow's gibberish assertion that it is engaged in a special operation to demilitarize and "de-Nazify" Ukrainians subjugated under a vile regime. The Kremlin's propaganda -- for years something so concentrated and cynical that it found its way into the information ecosystem, and even turned some souls -- is dismissed with the same disregard with which it was authored. It really is just nonsense, and it is refreshing to see most sensible media not even give it oxygen.Putin is wreaking carnage in Ukraine and no one can stop himOdessa is the prize on the coast. On Monday morning as the city was blasted with horizontal snow, the sirens rang out, enflaming residents' fears of a Russian amphibious landing. Those last three words sound ridiculous here, in a city with hipster dumpling stores hidden in stairwells, and a series of road signs that tell any new Russian arrivals to "fk off" (straight ahead), "also to fk off" (left) and to "f**k off back to Russia" (right).The entire Russian project in Ukraine is the stuff of a malarial nightmare. Putin's plan still doesn't make sense. Did the Kremlin genuinely think that Ukraine would collapse in a week, its citizens welcoming them in? If so, then why has the strategy swung so rapidly toward a form of collective punishment once it became clear they were not welcome at all? Was there no plan for something in between appreciation and annihilation?Why are the Russian units we see trying again and again to hit the same targets, often using very similar approaches? Why are so many abandoning their vehicles and accepting capture? And why is the Russian air force, for years flaunted as Putin's new hi-tech toy, proving so very ineffective?There is a temptation to seek rational answers to these questions. The reason we are in this dark place is the failure of the rational to dominate in the Kremlin. We just do not know how far Putin -- who over the course of two weeks has tried to encircle a capital city, placed his strategic nuclear defenses on a higher level of alert, used cluster munitions and attacked a nuclear power plant -- will go. Again and again, the war fails to make sense. It seems to be outside the reaches of what I thought our shared reality was. We can only hope it does not stay that way.	3news
Grays, England (CNN)Residents of the English town of Grays, 20 miles east of London, said their hearts were "broken" after 39 people, including a teenager, were found dead in a truck at an industrial park Wednesday.Eastern Avenue, a street in the heart of the usually-bustling industrial area, was closed off after ambulance workers made the discovery and called police around 1:40 a.m.Police said the container arrived at a nearby town after traveling from the Belgian port city of Zeebrugge early Wednesday, before it was transported by the truck to Waterglade Industrial Park.Police have not yet identified the 39 victims or their nationalities, however a 25-year-old truck driver from Northern Ireland was arrested on suspicion of murder.Paul Berry, a local councilor for Armagh in Northern Ireland, identified the driver as Morris Robinson. Berry told CNN he learned of the arrest after speaking with Robinson's father.Read MoreMorris Robinson was identified by a councilor in Northern Ireland as the driver of the truck that was found with 39 people dead.The local councilor said the driver was known locally as "Mo," and that his family is "salt of the earth and clearly we need to give them space."Wednesday, Essex Police Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills told reporters the "number one priority" for police was finding out who the victims were and where they were from. The force set up a helpline for people to call if they are concerned their relatives might have been among those inside the truck.Aerial footage of the scene, filmed by Reuters, showed a police cordon and black tent set up at the back of the white container, which was attached to a red Scania truck.Police say a 25-year-old Northern Irish truck driver has been arrested "on suspicion of murder."The industrial estate where the truck was found is home to logistics and courier companies, some of which were inaccessible because of the cordon. Dan Peters, a managing director of Pirtek, a hydraulic maintenance company based on the street where the truck was found, told PA news agency they were not able to open for business Wednesday.The truck was later moved, as seen by CNN, to a "secure location" at Tilbury Docks, about a 20-minute drive away from Grays, to "maintain the dignity of those who have lost their lives." British Red Cross to help identify victimsA British Red Cross official at the scene told CNN it will assist in the identification process and offer support to families. "I can't overstate how big a tragedy it is that 39 people felt like they had no better option than to get in the back of this truck and obviously it's ended in an absolute tragedy," said Matthew Carter, an emergency communications delegate for the British Red Cross.Matthew Carter from the British Red Cross, standing near where the truck was found, said the charity is helping both families and emergency workers.He added the charity was also giving support to the forensic team, offering them "somewhere where they can come and reflect, have a chat.""It's not something (emergency services) deal with on a day-to-day basis," Carter told CNN. "One chap told a colleague of mine that it's the hardest thing that he's dealt with in (his) 30-year-career."Grays resident Shafi Said, who lives one street away from the industrial estate where the truck was found, told CNN his heart was broken for the 39 people who died."It's so sad. My heart is broken for them," Said told CNN. "They're all innocent people -- and there was a child on board. I've got an 11-year-old son. I was so shocked."Shafi Said, who moved to Essex from Afghanistan in 2001, told CNN he is heartbroken at the news.The 35-year-old taxi driver moved to the area almost 20 years ago to escape the war in Afghanistan. He said his wife and three children were happy in Grays, which he described as "multicultural" where trucks are "always passing by."PM 'appalled' by tragedyNews of the grisly discovery shocked British lawmakers; many members of Parliament speculated in the House of Commons on Wednesday that the incident was linked to human trafficking. Police have not confirmed that claim. As the tragedy unfolded, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the perpetrators and "all such traders in human beings" to be "hunted down and brought to justice."Jackie Doyle-Price, the member of Parliament for Thurrock, where the bodies were found, wrote on Twitter: "Sickening news of 39 people found dead in a container in Grays. People trafficking is a vile and dangerous business. This is a big investigation for @EssexPoliceUK Let's hope they bring these murderers to justice."Sickening news of 39 people found dead in a container in Grays. People trafficking is a vile and dangerous business. This is a big investigation for @EssexPoliceUK Lets hope they bring these murderers to justice— Jackie Doyle-Price (@JackieDP) October 23, 2019 Richard Burnett, chief executive of trade body the Road Haulage Association, told reporters the container appeared to be refrigerated. That could mean freezing temperatures of anywhere between -5 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit, he told PA Media, making conditions "absolutely horrendous" for anyone stuck inside.Joint investigationIrish, Northern Irish and Bulgarian authorities were alerted to the discovery as English forces scrambled to figure out the truck and container's route to the United Kingdom. Earlier, police said the Bulgaria-registered vehicle entered the United Kingdom through the Welsh port of Holyhead over the weekend. A regular ferry service connects Holyhead with the Irish capital, Dublin. However, police later said the truck, and not the container, originated in Northern Ireland."We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue," Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner of Essex Police said in a statement. Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Scania truck was registered in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna by an Irish citizen. In a statement, it added that police think it's "highly unlikely" the victims were Bulgarian citizens. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told local broadcaster bTV the truck was registered in the country in 2017 but left and never re-entered."There is no way that we can be connected except for the registration plate of the truck. Despite this, we are working very well with the British authorities," Borissov said.Police say the truck is registered in Bulgaria.The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Twitter it is working with its Essex counterparts.Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told the country's Parliament on Wednesday that investigations would be carried out "if it's established the truck passed through Ireland." Ireland's police force, An Garda Síochána, said it was monitoring the UK investigation "and will provide every assistance possible."Human trafficking incidentsIn recent years there have been a number of fatal incidents in the United Kingdom and Europe involving large numbers of migrants who were found suffocated to death in trucks or containers. Four human traffickers were given life sentences this summer over the deaths of 71 migrants whose bodies were found in an abandoned truck in Austria in 2015, Reuters reported.In 2000, 58 Chinese migrants were found dead in a lorry in Dover.Flowers were laid at the entrance to the industrial park in Grays, Essex, where 39 bodies were found inside a truck container.The past year has seen an increase in the number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel by boat. Experts have partially linked that rise to the United Kingdom enforcing more stringent border checks -- which in turn has made the option of truck crossings a more difficult and costly affair, as smugglers raise their fees. "The UK has invested a lot of money in protecting the lorry routes" from migrants crossing from France, Nando Sigona, an associate professor in international migration at the University of Birmingham, told CNN earlier this year. "That route has probably been sealed off, or made more difficult to pursue."This story has been updated to correct the time police were called by the ambulance service.CNN's Bianca Britton reported from Grays, and Tara John and Katie Polglase reported from London. CNN's Sharon Braithwaite, Nina Avramova, Rob Picheta, Scott McLean and Peter Taggart contributed to this report.	3news
Story highlightsPeople on a sliver of land caught in a Soviet time warp long to be part of RussiaTransnistria is part of Moldova and an unrecognized self-declared countryThey see Russia as a protecting force and a place to work and tradeOne woman explains if the Russian military arrived people would cheerThe previous night we'd been turned away by stern-looking border guards. A categorical "no entry" to Transnistria. Trans-where? Transnistria is a breakaway state, recognized by no sovereign nation. It's a sliver of land sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine and only a little larger than Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States."You can't come in. Right now there is no permission for foreigners and no permission for journalists," said the Transnistrian border guard, clad in an oversized peaked cap with Soviet-style hat-badge.READ: Russian lawmaker: West always thinks worst of usIt was past midnight and we were too tired to argue. To be honest, we had expected as much. A week earlier, Transnistrian authorities had fast-tracked our request for a journalist visa to report inside their territory.Instead of waiting the normal 10 days' processing time, officials had responded within 36 hours. It was a speedy "no."Map showing Transnistria Photos: Transnistria: A land in limbo Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Former Transnistria President Igor Smirnov, wearing the light gray suit, attends Independence Day celebrations in Tiraspol, Transnistria, on September 2, 2009. Transnistria is a breakaway state, recognized by no sovereign nation. Sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine, it's only a little larger than Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States.Hide Caption 1 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – People watch the Transnistrian army and police during a parade in Tiraspol in 2009.Hide Caption 2 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Transnistrian army and police are seen during the parade in 2009. Transnistria split from Moldova, a former Soviet republic, in a two-year war that erupted as the Soviet Union fell apart. The Russians stepped in to back Transnistria but never recognized it as an independent state.Hide Caption 3 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A woman films a scene from "Tea in the Morning," a show on state television in Transnistria.Hide Caption 4 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Children form a line as they attend a classical dance lesson in Tiraspol in 2009.Hide Caption 5 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Children dance together during the lesson.Hide Caption 6 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Workers for the Kvint company produce cognac and wine at a Tiraspol facility in 2009.Hide Caption 7 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A child enjoys a Transnistrian playground.Hide Caption 8 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A child poses for a photo at a farm in 2009.Hide Caption 9 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Sunbathers enjoy warm weather in Dnestrovsc, Transnistria, in 2009.Hide Caption 10 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Children are seen at a Transnistrian orphanage in 2009.Hide Caption 11 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A young girl plays in a backyard in 2009.Hide Caption 12 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A scene from a Tiraspol nightclub in 2009.Hide Caption 13 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – Young people dance in Tiraspol in 2009.Hide Caption 14 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – An altar is seen along a road in Transnistria in 2009.Hide Caption 15 of 16 Photos: Transnistria: A land in limboTransnistria: A land in limbo – A young girl is on board a train from Moscow to Tiraspol in 2009. Hide Caption 16 of 16Transnistria split from the former Soviet republic of Moldova following a two-year war (1990-1992) that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed. The Russians stepped in to back Transnistria -- located on the right bank of the River Dniestr -- but never recognized it as an independent state.It became a land in limbo.More than a decade later, and after Russian troops marched into Ukraine's Crimea region, NATO's top military commander Gen. Philip Breedlove warned Moscow may be eyeing other targets.Western intelligence has shown tens of thousands more Russian troops massed on Ukraine's eastern border.'Frozen conflict'Breedlove suggested the force -- backed by tanks and attack helicopters -- was large enough to roll right through Ukraine from east to west and into Transnistria.The general described this as one of Russia's "frozen conflicts" -- an unresolved political and territorial dispute -- which Moscow could reignite at any time in a bid to expand its influence across the region.Like the generals in Moscow and Washington, we pored over our map, tracking backroads and alternate routes into the self-declared country.We decided to try to visit as tourists; our target was the "Equator" a top nightclub in the Transnistrian border town of Bender.Attempting our approach this time from Moldova, we sloshed a half bottle of local brandy on the floor of our minivan to give it a party smell. Maybe they got bored of our incoherent fast-talk or perhaps bought the idea that Transnistrian nightlife was a big draw for international partygoers. After a long wait, we were waved through.A statue of Lenin guards a building with the Soviet star still on top in Transnistria.As we rolled past decaying heavy industry and tumbledown Soviet-era apartment blocks, it was clear Transnistria needed more than a fancy nightclub to give it a touch of glamor.At the doors of the "Equator", we were informed that the night's planned event was body painting and a contest to win free cocktails. The rules did not seem entirely clear.We headed instead for an early night in the capital Tiraspol. My last foray into cocktail drinking in former Soviet states had ended badly. A week earlier, up on the Ukraine's northeast frontier with Russia, a Ukrainian tank commander had cracked open a jar of pickled tomatoes, offered up some raw eggs and uncorked home-made vodka.When the fruit vodka ran out -- we ended the chilly night, in a foxhole, drinking shots of a cloudy liquid from a plastic bottle. Before he passed out, the gunner explained it was the cleaning fluid for the tank's electronics.No desire to repeat that in Transnistria.Trapped in timeAs we headed early Sunday into downtown Tiraspol, it was easy to see Transnistria is a place trapped in time.The hammer and sickle is still proudly emblazoned on the Transnistrian flag. A Soviet star is perched atop the city council building and a few blocks down, a towering statue of Lenin rises like a guardian angel.The roads are named after revolutionary icons: Marx, Engels, Lenin. There's also just plain "Communist Street."At a flea market, old men traded Soviet army cap badges and shoulder flashes. Many here still hanker after the glory days of the Cold War."Of course it was good with the Soviet Union. We wanted to be with Russia and still want to be with Russia," one elderly lady told me. She wrapped her arms around herself as she explained how she had felt protected by the old U.S.S.R.Viktor, one of the men selling old Soviet military mementos added: "It was good in those days but we know we cannot turn back time. But we want to join Russia now and set up a free-trade zone.""We don't want to be part of Moldova. They only grab money for their own pockets," he added.JUST WATCHEDRussia: U.S. helped provoke Ukraine unrestReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRussia: U.S. helped provoke Ukraine unrest 01:29JUST WATCHEDPutin keeping options open in UkraineReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPutin keeping options open in Ukraine 05:46JUST WATCHEDRubio: This is not 'win-lose' with PutinReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRubio: This is not 'win-lose' with Putin 03:24Pro-RussianTalking to people here, it's hard to fathom why NATO chiefs would warn of an impending Russian invasion of Transnistria. The doors seem to be wide open and the welcome mat is out."Let them come. Here people are all for it. If the Russian military comes everybody will shout 'hooray,'" a chatty blonde woman said.Transnistrians have repeatedly called to be allowed to join the Russian Federation. Moscow has so far failed to recognize Transnistria's independence -- insisting that it should first resolve its dispute with Moldova.After its annexation of Crimea, some political and military analysts believe Russia may be readying to redraw some of Eastern Europe's borders without further consultation.Away from the flea market, stands "La Dolce Vita," an Italian-style pavement café that serves only instant coffee and dozens of varieties of sugary cakes.Law student Katya and boyfriend Sergey, an IT student, were consumed in a very public show of affection. Their minds were more focused on love not war. But they paused briefly for questions."If the Russians come in it wouldn't be a tragedy at all. The Russian military is already here," Sergey said. The couple added that they intended to go to Russia once they'd graduated to look for well-paid work there. They said good jobs were hard to find in Transnistria.When the Soviet star waned, a new star rose over Transnistria -- that of Wild West economics.An ex-KGB agent and former president appears to be one of the biggest businessmen in town. He goes under the brand name "Sheriff" and has a chain of supermarkets, gas stations and even Tiraspol's top soccer club.Other businesses here may not be so mainstream. International economists often describe Transnistria as a state whose fortunes are built on smuggling booze and tobacco and selling old Soviet weapons.Out in the countryside, Anna Ivanna has no head for shady dealings. I find her hoeing weeds from her small vineyard. She says her land is perfect for growing organic grapes. Some of it goes to produce Kvint -- a Transnistrian cognac.She believes becoming part of Russia would bring greater economic benefits like cheaper energy, especially Russian natural gas for heating her home and powering local industry. She's also heard Russian pensions are four times higher than in Transnistria."Why do we need Europe? It's good for us to be part of Russia. Maybe Europe is OK for the young people," she said.Russian soldiers never left Transnistria, after its 1990-1992 independence war with Moldova. A contingent of around 1,200 occupies bases and highway checkpoints here -- another indication Russian President Vladimir Putin would not need to invade since his troops are already here.On the outskirts of the capital, we venture into another Soviet-era apartment complex. On a wall, there's a starkly poetic line of graffiti scrawled in English. It could be the lament of star-crossed lovers or perhaps a sign of the political times."I love you. But why I love you?...I never know."A message from Transnistria. To Russia with love.READ: Ukraine leader: Surrender and you won't be prosecutedREAD: Opinion: Turning Crimea into 'Putinland'?	3news
Durham, UK (CNN)Jonny Bairstow's stylish century inspired England to a 119-run victory over New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup as the host nation booked its place in the semifinals.Follow @cnnsport On a day where England's World Cup future was under threat, Bairstow produced his second century in four days and his third consecutive ton against New Zealand in one day cricket, to set up a likely tie with India at Edgbaston next Thursday.For England, which had to beat New Zealand to guarantee its place in the last four, victory brought welcome relief after a difficult few weeks in which it had proved consistently inconsistent.Jonny Bairstow of England celebrates his century against New Zealand.But here, buoyed by a capacity crowd in the picturesque city of Durham, England proved too good for a New Zealand team that has rapidly fallen away in its past few games.This defeat, New Zealand's third on the bounce, is unlikely to prove fatal to its own hopes of making the last four. It will now most likely face Australia in Manchester on Tuesday in a repeat of the 2015 final barring a miraculous intervention from Pakistan, which still harbors qualification ambitions of its own.Read MoreA fine victory over India in its last group game underlined this team's potential, while this win showed its ability to destroy an opponent's bowling attack and then strangle the life out of it in the field.RedemptionThat England's fate at this World Cup should rest on beating New Zealand, the team that humiliated it at the World Cup four years ago, was rather apt.Few English cricket fans will want to remember the 2015 defeat in Wellington in which England was beaten in a day/night game before the floodlights were even required.Skittled out for just 123, New Zealand required just 74 balls to condemn England to an eight-wicket defeat with 49 runs coming off just two Steven Finn overs.For England it was the nadir. For Eoin Morgan, it was one of the lowest moments of his career."It was a terrible day," Morgan said ahead of the clash with New Zealand in Durham."One of those moments in my career that will stand out for ever in my life as a day where I was devastated, not only with the way we performed but also the way we carried ourselves."READ: England gave Jofra Archer 'all the respect' he deserves, says RichardsREAD: England on the brink after Australia defeat TransformationFast forward to today and England is an entirely different proposition in one-day cricket.Indeed, the chastening defeat by New Zealand sparked a revolution in how England approached the 50-over game with Morgan taking inspiration from the philosophy employed by the Black Caps and its captain, Brendan McCullum.England's captain Eoin Morgan led his side to victory at Durham."The way his New Zealand team played, the way they did it their own way was important. It's important for any team to get their own identity and stick with it," said Morgan. "New Zealand proved a point that you can actually be really good humans and grow the game and play cricket in your own way and win, at the same time."Since that defeat, England's fortunes have been transformed. The 2015 3-2 series win at home to New Zealand marked the start of a climb to number one in the world rankings and four years of positivity going into this year's tournament. Such positivity was justified, too. A 5-0 win over Australia last summer, and a 4-0 whitewash of Pakistan ahead of the World Cup gave yet more impetus to the thought that this could finally be England's year.JUST WATCHEDViv Richards: Virat Kohli reminds me of myselfReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHViv Richards: Virat Kohli reminds me of myself 02:06READ: Swarm of bees interrupts Cricket World CupREAD: Virat Kohli's fan club -- 103 million followers and Viv RichardsBut as ever with any England team, at any sporting tournament, progress is rarely simple.A defeat by Pakistan, a team it had beaten four times in succession only weeks earlier, and consecutive losses against Sri Lanka and Australia, left its place in the last four in severe jeopardy.Victory over India, which was unbeaten going into the contest and had temporarily replaced England at the top of the world rankings, was welcome, as was the nature of the performance.England, having won the toss and choosing to bat, made a riotous start with Bairstow and Roy putting on a first wicket partnership of 123 -- the same total the entire team combined managed when it last played New Zealand at the World Cup four years ago.Bairstow's century and Roy's 60 from 61 balls set the tone for the host, though New Zealand managed to fight its way back with England losing its next three wickets for just 20 runs.Ross Taylor of New Zealand is run out as Jos Buttler breaks the stumps after a throw from Adil Rashid.While at one stage England appeared to post a total in the region of 350, it ended up finishing on 305-8, a score that appeared enough to be confident of victory, but not certain.Not that England should have been too concerned given its bright start with the ball.Both New Zealand openers were dismissed with just 14 runs on the board and the visiting team was soon reduced to 69-4 with both skipper Kane Williamson and the dangerous Ross Taylor run out.Mark Wood of England celebrates bowling Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand.With those two batsmen went any hopes New Zealand had of winning the tie.Tom Latham did offer some resistance, hitting 57 before feathering the ball through behind to Joss Butler in rather disappointing fashion to leave his side 164-7.For New Zealand, the end was nigh. Mark Wood, bowling in excess of 145 km/h, claimed three wickets on his home ground to help dismiss New Zealand for just 186 and book England's place in the last four of the competition for the first time since 1992.	5sport
(CNN)When leaders from the European Council gathered for a group photo in Brussels last week, it was hard to miss the class newbie. Standing front and center among the neat rows of middle-aged men was Finland's new prime minister -- 34-year-old Sanna Marin.The young woman had a huge smile on her face. And why not, given her trailblazing new status as the world's youngest sitting prime minister.The former transport minister shot to worldwide fame earlier this month after the leader of her Social Democratic Party stepped down -- and Marin stepped up, becoming the country's youngest serving prime minister.She now heads Finland's governing coalition of five parties -- all of which have female leaders, and almost all under the age of 35.Family photo of the European Leaders. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is sixth from left, front row.Read MoreIt's a remarkable line-up, given the country's leaders have traditionally been older men.Marin's youth and gender "make her stand out from her predecessors, that for the most part have been males in their 50s," said Timo Miettinen, researcher at Helsinki University's Department of Political and Economic Studies. Finland was the first country in the world to elect women to parliament, a little over a century ago. In that time, there have been just two female prime ministers before Marin, each serving for no longer than a year. Initially, many Finns were too embroiled in internal political strife (the previous prime minister resigned after nationwide industrial strikes) to make much of a fuss about Marin's record-setting age. But when the international press started weighing in, they took notice, said Miettinen."People have been saying it's the best thing to happen to the international reputation of Finland," he said."There is a sense of pride -- at least among her supporters and people who support her coalition parties." View this post on Instagram The newly elected government in Finland led by expected Prime Minister Sanna Marin, a Rage Against The Machine fan. All women, 4 out of 5 under 35. Top priority: address impending climate disaster. A post shared by Tom Morello (@tommorello) on Dec 9, 2019 at 10:43am PST Marin and her fellow coalition leaders don't look like your average senior politicians. The new prime minister is a big Rage Against the Machine fan, and a photo of Marin and her all-female line-up was proudly shared on Instagram by the band's guitarist, Tom Morello.Rainbow family Marin's modest background doesn't read like your average world leader's either.Her parents divorced when she was a small child "because of my father's alcohol problem," Marin wrote in a 2016 blog.She grew up in a "rainbow family," her mother in a same-sex relationship, in the Pirkkala region, north of Helsinki. They lived in a rented apartment and despite not having much money, Marin wrote that they had an "abundance" of love.Estonia apologizes after minister calls Finland's new leader Sanna Marin a 'sales girl'At 15, Marin's first summer job was at a bakery, and at high school she distributed magazines to earn extra cash. After graduating, she worked as a cashier -- a role Estonia's interior minister this week mocked, calling her a "sales girl" and questioning her ability to run the country.Estonia apologized to Finland for the comments, made by the far-right EKRE party leader, Mart Helme.Marin used the comments to her political advantage, tweeting: "I'm extremely proud of Finland. Here a poor family's child can educate themselves and achieve their goals in life. A cashier can become even a Prime Minister."A divided country Marin was the first member of her family to attend university. She entered politics at 20 and quickly moved up the ranks of the center-left Social Democratic Party. At 27 she was elected Tampere City Council leader, and three years later she became an MP. Her politics sit to the left of her party -- supporting increasing refugee intakes and raising taxes to support the welfare state.With her humble background and humanitarian policies, some commentators have cast Marin as the antidote to other strongman world leaders. Many drew comparisons with New Zealand's progressive Prime Minister Jacinda Ardhern, who took office at the age of 37.Marin gives the impression "of a very principled person," said Miettinen. "She doesn't avoid tough questions and she does very well in political debates on television, which are a very big part of Finnish culture."The big challenge for Marin now, will be uniting her deeply divided Social Democratic party. The group has seen a split between its left-leaning, young, urban supporters -- and traditional trade union working class living outside the cities.JUST WATCHEDHow Finland is winning the war against fake newsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow Finland is winning the war against fake news 03:52Marin is "clearly affiliated" with the urban base, which could alienate the party's traditional working class voters, said Miettinen.And with the rise of the nationalist Finns Party, there is a real threat that they'll attract disgruntled Social Democratic voters.In recent years, traditional Social Democratic workers from factory towns have become unemployed as businesses moved away, Miettinen said. There is now a "genuine threat" that "right-wing, populist, nationalist parties provide these people with at least a sense of being able to hold onto some kind of identity."Shortly after Marin became prime minister, the leader of the nationalist Finns Party, Jussi Halla-aho tweeted his congratulations -- with an emoji of a bucket of popcorn."It was a way of sarcastically saying good luck with the future, because you will still have all the problems that you had before," said Miettinen.Now, the world will be watching how this record-setting prime minister tackles them.	3news
(CNN)All good things must come to an end, and so it is that Jill Ellis has stepped down as coach of the United States women's soccer team.Ellis, who took charge in 2014, led the side to two World Cup final victories, most recently in France earlier this year. She oversaw her final match Sunday, a 1-1 draw against South Korea in Chicago. The 53-year-old stands down as the most successful coach in USWNT history with 106 wins, 19 draws and just seven losses.She is the only person to take charge of two successful Women's World Cup campaigns, recording victories in all 15 games across her two tournaments bar a 0-0 draw against Sweden in 2015. The US defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in Lyon in July to lift its fourth World Cup title and over the past two months has contested matches against Ireland, Portugal and South Korea as part of a Victory Tour.Read MoreREAD: Jill Ellis: The shy girl from England who became US Soccer's record-breaking head coachREAD: Megan Rapinoe praises Raheem Sterling, 'Blue Girl' in FIFA award speechEllis took charge of her final game in Chicago on October 6."I'm privileged to have done this job for so long," Ellis told reporters Sunday."Numbers and all that kind of fade away and it becomes about the players, the staff, the people, and the memories. I've got a trunk full of memories from this for sure and it's been fantastic."It was her penultimate game in charge -- a 2-0 victory over South Korea on October 3 -- that saw Ellis surpass Tony DiCicco's record of 105 wins as USWNT manager. During Ellis' five years in charge, the US team has become a powerful collective voice for gender equality in sport. A lawsuit filed by players against the US Soccer Federation has been scheduled for trial starting on May 5 next year.Former player Kate Markgraf, who was appointed as the USWNT's general manager in August, lis leading the hunt for the team's next manager.READ: Hugo Lloris in agony after freak injury during Spurs defeat JUST WATCHEDReal Madrid to launch women's teamReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHReal Madrid to launch women's team 01:25Markgraf previously named Laura Harvey, Paul Riley, Vlatko Andonovski and Mark Krikorian as potential candidates to take over from Ellis. Carli Lloyd scored the USA's only goal in Sunday's game against South Korea, a first-half equalizer three minutes after Ji So-yun had given the visiting side the lead. The US next faces Sweden on November 8 in Columbus.	5sport
(CNN)One is called the "child of the storm." Another is "the crown jewel." The third was dubbed "the voice of justice."They are the three great laws of the civil rights movement: the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.A new conservative bloc on the Supreme Court though may soon treat them as something else: outdated "racial entitlements" that need to be put back in their place. President Lyndon Johnson congratulates the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.That's the dreaded future some experts envision for these landmark laws now that Justice Brett Kavanaugh has joined the Supreme Court. They warn that, for the first time, the high court has five firmly conservative judges who were groomed to dismantle the legal legacy of these laws, which have stood for 50 years. "They will chip, chip away at these laws until there is nothing left," says Carol Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy." Read More"I could see the court tilting further and further to the right until we end up with a dystopian society."Such steady erosion would halt what some call the "Second American Civil Rights Revolution." It would also destroy a central plank in the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. When the nation celebrates the King holiday on Monday, much of the focus will be on his stirring speeches and dramatic marches.But these three laws are as central to King's legacy as his "I Have a Dream" speech. They are in some ways the legal foundation for the "Beloved Community" he evoked in his speeches and books. While he wasn't the only person who fought and died for these laws -- there were countless others who did the same -- King's role in their passage was indispensable. Today these laws touch virtually every American. They have changed everything from how women are treated in the workplace to protecting people with disabilities. Yet few realize these laws came about only because of a brutal struggle. And even fewer may be aware how a new high court could unravel them -- all while claiming to honor the civil rights leader.Here's how some legal scholars and historians say it could happen.The Fair Housing Act: Changing the way we define discriminationIt was one of the most frightening moments in his ministry, and it was all caught on film. It was in August 1966 and King had launched a campaign to integrate housing in Chicago. He was about to lead a march on a sunny summer day when a white mob confronted him in a park. Someone threw a rock, and it hit King in the head. He fell to a knee, a look of fear visible on his face."I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hateful as I've seen here in Chicago," King told reporters afterward.The question that haunts King's last day in MemphisKing's Chicago campaign would ultimately languish. But his assassination two years later would spark the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The legislation had been stalled, but President Lyndon Johnson successfully urged Congress to pass it, saying it would honor King's legacy. When he signed it into law, Johnson declared, "The voice of justice speaks again." The fair housing law is one of the most consequential ones in America. It literally hits people where they live. It outlaws discrimination in the renting, buying and financing of homes based on race, religion, national origin and gender. It also protects families with children and people with disabilities seeking housing. "It goes way beyond race, and it has from the very start," says Gregory D. Squires, editor of "The Fight for Fair Housing: Causes, Consequences and Future Implications of the 1968 Fair Housing Act."The act is less well known than the other two landmark laws. But it's become a battleground for one of the most powerful tools used to fight discrimination of any kind. That tool is called the "disparate impact standard," and many legal scholars expect the court's conservative bloc to abolish it.The standard looks not at the racial intent but the racial impact of a policy. The government doesn't have to catch a landlord or mortgage lender being intentionally racist to conclude they're discriminating. It looks at statistical evidence, which often reveals racial disparities."A policy that concentrates low income housing vouchers in poor, minority neighborhoods, for example, is every bit as discriminatory as a whites-only listing -- per a disparate impact reading of the Fair Housing Act," Kriston Capps explained in an article for CityLab magazine called "Is the Fight for Fair Housing Over?"Riots erupted in Chicago and other cities after King's 1968 assassination.Critics of disparate impact, though, say it's a contrived legal theory that encourages frivolous lawsuits and the use of racial quotas. They say the Fair Housing Act was only meant to target intentional discrimination.The Obama administration relied on disparate impact to secure a $335 million settlement in 2011 against Bank of America. The government concluded the bank's now-defunct Countrywide Financial unit had charged black and Latino customers higher rates and fees than white applicants with similar credit histories. The standard is crucial, civil rights advocates say, because it's used not only in housing law, but other areas such as in education and employment regulations. Plus, the most insidious forms of racism are no longer overt, they say: Few people are going to be dumb enough to write a memo saying don't rent to Mexicans or Muslims. The standard gives advocates a radar for detecting discrimination even when it's hidden or unintentional. Disparate impact, though, has been hanging by a legal thread at the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the only conservative who voted to preserve the standard during a crucial housing case in 2015. He said the courts shouldn't just pay attention to intentional racism. In his decision upholding the standard, he alluded to the damage done by "unconscious prejudices and disguised animus."Brett Kavanaugh will help dismantle key civil rights laws, activists say.Kennedy has retired -- while the four conservative justices who dissented in that case are still on the court. They're now joined by Kennedy's replacement, Kavanaugh, who has a history of being skeptical of disparate impact theory, according to several groups that examined his record. The high court may now be poised to render the Fair Housing Act toothless -- and, some say, dramatically narrow the definition of discrimination. "You'd have to prove that a real estate agent said, 'I'm not going to sell you a house because you're black,' and they're not going to do that," says Peter Irons, author of "A People's History of the Supreme Court," which looks at how the high court has acted to thwart social change.It could mark a return to a segregated America, when banks and real estate agents used various means to prevent the "wrong kind of people" from moving into white neighborhoods, Squires says. "We would probably see less movement in the direction of more diverse communities, and increasing incidents of discrimination," says Squires, who is also a sociology professor at the George Washington University. "Housing providers would feel empowered to do things they wouldn't do today with disparate impact."How Brett Kavanaugh will collide with a changing AmericaThe Trump administration appears to be feeling empowered enough to question the standard. The Washington Post recently reported that officials are considering rolling back the use of disparate impact in ways that would dilute federal rules against discrimination of women and people of color in areas such as housing and education. Such a move would take the United States back to a pre-civil rights era, writes Nancy LeTourneau in a Washington Monthly column about the proposed rule change."We'll be headed back to the 1950s when it comes to civil rights," she says, "with racists given free rein to discriminate as long as they don't make racially biased statements about it in public." The 1965 Voting Rights Act: Taking it off 'life support'Here's a thought that frightens some people who worry about the spread of voting restrictions across America: Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. is now considered the swing vote on the Supreme Court. Civil rights advocates have long regarded Roberts as an implacable foe of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which targets racially discriminatory voting restrictions. He was a "key foot solider" in the Reagan administration's attempts to weaken the law as a litigator in the Justice Department. One Justice Department lawyer told Mother Jones that Roberts "had it in for the Voting Rights Act" as far back as the 1980s, noting that he thought it should only address intentional discrimination. He still does, says Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote." "I don't think John Roberts believes in the Voting Rights Act," she says. "Because John Roberts has this veneer of respectability, folks find it very difficult to place uber-right ideologies in that veneer. If you're looking at the man's record, you can't be hopeful."In 2013, Roberts wrote the ruling that struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. Section 5 had stipulated that states with a history of racially discriminatory voting first had to "pre-clear" any voting change with the federal government. The Rev. James J. Reeb was killed in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, after going to march there for voting rights laws.That section of the law was transformative. Before the Voting Rights Act, the South was virtually an apartheid state. Black people who tried to register to vote were sometimes beaten or murdered. Voter registration offices were closed or rarely opened in black areas, and blacks voters faced "literacy tests" that were nearly impossible to pass.King called the right to vote the "No. 1 civil rights issue." "So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote, I do not possess myself," King said in a 1957 speech at the Lincoln Memorial, "Give Us the Ballot -- We Will Transform the South." "I cannot make up my mind -- it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact -- I can only submit to the edict of others."His leadership was vital in forcing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. He helped organize and lead a campaign in Selma, Alabama, that was designed specifically to produce a voting rights bill.The law is known today as "the crown jewel" of the movement. The dramatic expansion of black political power within the last 30 years was made possible by the act. No Voting Rights Act, no President Barack Obama.Toobin: Chief justice out to end affirmative actionIn the Shelby decision, Roberts said the court was not overturning the law's permanent ban on racial discrimination in voting. It was merely jettisoning a formula that unfairly targeted states with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices. He praised the Voting Rights Act, saying, "There is no denying that, due to the Voting Rights Act, our nation has made great strides."Roberts' rhetoric offered a sneak preview of how the court will go after other civil rights laws, some say: Gut them while celebrating their importance. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin described Roberts' reasoning this way: "Declare victory in the nation's fight against racial discrimination and then to disable the weapons with which that struggle was won."Voting rights advocates still hold out some hope for what remains of the Voting Rights Act, but the results so far have been mixed. Section 2 of the act bans racially discriminatory voting practices once they go into effect. It also bans any local voting changes that have "the result" of denying racial minorities participation in the political process. But some say relying only on Section 2 hurls voting rights back to the way they were before the law ever existed. Then, as now, voters had to spend a lot of time and money on lawsuits that target racially discriminatory voting changes after they went into effect. King's leadership was crucial on civil rights legislation, but Johnson and others played key roles. Voting rights activists recently tried to use Section 2 to go after the Texas Legislature.They argued before the high court that state lawmakers violated Section 2 when they drew congressional and legislative maps that diluted minority voters. The conservative bloc on the high court, though, voted 5-4 last year in Abbott v. Perez to uphold all but one of Texas' congressional and state legislative districts. One voting rights expert said that decision gives "states like Texas freer rein for repression of minority voting rights." The high court's decision rejected a lower court finding that lawmakers had violated the Voting Rights Act by drawing maps that discriminated against black and Latino voters. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority in the Abbott decision that courts must presume the "good faith" of state lawmakers when gauging whether their voting changes were driven by racism.That same month, the court's conservative bloc also approved Ohio's purging of its voting rolls, a move that some critics say changes voting rights to a "use it or lose it" proposition. Anderson says the high court's conservative bloc isn't finished with the Voting Rights Act."They will go after Section 2 and just say there's no need for the Voting Rights Act; people can vote if they want to," says Anderson, who is also a professor of African-American studies at Emory University in Atlanta.The conservative bloc on the high court will then treat voting ID laws, which discourage millions of Americans from voting, as an issue of character, not discrimination, Anderson says. She doesn't expect Kavanaugh to change the court's trajectory on voting rights. He was part of a panel of three federal judges that upheld a South Carolina voter ID law in 2012.The character argument is already being invoked. In 2016, an Alabama election official said he opposes automatically registering voters when they turn 18 because allowing "lazy people" to register without any effort would "cheapen" the civil rights movement's voting rights legacy.The greatest MLK speeches you never heard"They're going to treat the issue of voter turnout, the issue of voter registration, as a singular moral issue, a personal failing," Anderson says, "not a structural one that the state has put into place." One legal commentator says voting rights are on "life support," and that the United States is in the midst of "the worst decade for voter suppression since the 1940s." Anderson evokes another era when she thinks of life after the movement's "crown jewel" has been tarnished. It would look in some ways like America before the Civil War -- half-slave, half-free -- half of the country making voting more accessible while the other half throws up restrictions. "We're going to have the kind of political battles that become so frayed," Anderson says, "that it will feel like a Disunited States." The 1964 Civil Rights Act: Goodbye affirmative action?It was called "the child of a storm," the product of one of the most turbulent periods in American history during peacetime. At the center of that storm was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.The 1964 Civil Rights Act was birthed not just in idealism, but also blood. Kennedy first introduced a civil rights bill in 1963. Lyndon Johnson, however, could only summon the congressional will to pass the law by invoking Kennedy's death after a ferocious yearlong legislative battle.What pushed Kennedy to introduce the bill was relentless pressure from King and other civil rights protesters. King led a bloody civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 that provoked outrage across the globe. He also wrote his classic "Letter From Birmingham Jail" during the protests.President John F. Kennedy goes on TV to urge passage of a civil rights bill. Kennedy went on national television to call for a civil rights bill in June 1963. He echoed King's letter so much that "in a powerful sense, King and the movement were the authors of the president's oratory," historian Jonathan Rieder wrote.King was ecstatic after hearing Kennedy's speech."Can you believe that white man not only stepped up to the plate, he hit it over the fence!" he said.The law spelled the end of "For Whites Only" signs in public places. But it didn't just help racial minorities. It explicitly banned discrimination against women and religious minorities as well. It inspired millions of women to enter the workplace. And it served as a model for other anti-discrimination measures such as the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.It also spawned one of the most controversial legacies of the civil rights movement: the use of affirmative action, particularly in higher education.Mention affirmative action, and some people's blood pressure immediately spikes. There's a popular argument among conservatives that King opposed affirmative action. It's not true. Although King did not use the phrase "affirmative action" -- it was coined by Kennedy -- he supported the concept."A society that has done something special against the Negro for hundreds of years must now do something special for the Negro," King wrote in his final book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"There's also a popular belief that affirmative action is used today to set racial quotas and compensate for slavery and segregation.But the high court has long banned those uses of affirmative action. In its 1978 decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges could consider the race of applicants only for the purposes of building diversity in a student body.Affirmative action in higher education survived a near-death experience in 2016 when Justice Anthony Kennedy cast a surprising and pivotal vote upholding the University of Texas' race-based admissions plan. But the rationale used to justify the Bakke and Texas decisions is also hanging by a thread. The court's conservative bloc may soon ban colleges from considering the race of applicants under any circumstances, even to promote diversity, some say. Chief Justice John Roberts has been hostile to the legal legacy of the civil rights movement, advocates say.What inspires such pessimism? All five conservatives on the bench come out of a conservative legal movement that was formed in part to strike down anti-discrimination laws. That movement says dividing people up by race is unconstitutional, that the Constitution is "colorblind" and that all Americans should be treated as individuals, not as members of a racial or ethnic group.Roberts, the chief justice, alluded to this legal point of view when he once wrote in a voting rights case, "It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race."The high court has been led by conservatives before, but nothing like this new bloc, says Garrett Epps, a constitutional law professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law."It really is a group of people who self-identify as movement conservatives, and their mission is to take the courts back and fundamentally change their function in our political system," Epps says.Roberts already has written an opinion striking down some school district plans designed to promote diversity. In 2007, Roberts drew a moral equivalence between two districts' plans to keep schools from becoming racially segregated and Jim Crow-era schools that banned black children from attending.Roberts cited the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which outlawed the "separate but equal" doctrine that led to segregated schools, in the 5-4 opinion that struck down the plans in Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky."Before Brown, schoolchildren were told where they could and could not go to school based on the color of their skin. The school districts in these cases have not carried the heavy burden of demonstrating that we should allow this once again -- even for very different reasons," Roberts wrote. Kavanaugh is equally opposed to affirmative action, some civil rights advocates say.The NAACP described him as a "hard-core ideologue" who is "hostile" to affirmative action. The group pointed to his work helping the Bush administration's unsuccessful 2003 challenge to a University of Michigan admission program that considered race. The NAACP noted Kavanaugh once wrote that "the Constitution does not allow governmental racial classifications." If affirmative action in higher education is struck down, some people say they already know what to expect. They cite California.King pressured Kennedy to call for a civil rights bill by leading protests and going to jail. In 1996, nearly two decades after the Bakke decision, California voters passed Proposition 209, which banned the use of affirmative action in educational settings. Following the ban, admission offers to blacks at UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley, fell by 55%, according to one estimate. One UCLA faculty member told The New Yorker that his school ended up "looking more like Ole Miss." "We had a massive plummeting of Latino and African-American students in law schools and in medical schools," says Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote." The ban still stands.Epps, a contributor to The Atlantic Monthly, says he expects the new conservative majority to strike down affirmative action while borrowing from the rhetorical playbook Roberts flashed in the Voting Rights Act decision. These justices won't admit that they're overturning a landmark law. They'll say they're actually fulfilling the original goal of the civil rights laws by creating a colorblind society, he says. "Of course, they're never going to say we decided to change national policy," Epps says. "It's going to be a lot of language like the Seattle case. There's going to be a lot of pious language about 'We yield to no one in our contempt for racism.' " But Epps says they'll really be thinking, " 'And that's precisely why white people have to win.' " The ripple effect of such decisions could sweep aside much of the civil rights movement's legal legacy, says Epps, who is also author of "American Justice 2014: Nine Clashing Visions on the Supreme Court."The United States may be on the verge of entering a post-civil rights landscape, he says.Epps cited an article in The New Republic more four years ago about the end of the civil rights movement."We may be at that place now," he says.Power to the people or the court?There is, however, one optimistic scenario for some who dread the rise of a new conservative court. The power of the people will eventually beat the power of the court, says University of Chicago law professor Gerald Rosenberg.Rosenberg is the author of "The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change?" He doesn't buy into the doomsday scenarios. King waves to supporters during the 1963 March on Washington. "If you think about the major social changes in the 20th century -- Social Security, the minimum wage, nondiscrimination laws, Medicare and Medicaid -- they are all acts of Congress, not the courts."He says a new high court can't reverse the most significant changes embedded in civil rights laws as long as most Americans support them."Social change almost always comes through the political process," he says, "not the courts."Some might argue with Rosenberg by pointing to one of the most infamous periods in Supreme Court history. In the late 19th century, the high court obliterated post-Civil War racial progress with a series of blatantly racist decisions that culminated in 1896 with Plessy v. Ferguson. That notorious ruling upheld racial segregation laws, sanctioning the separate but equal doctrine that undergirded Jim Crow for nearly a century. Rosenberg though points to Plessy and that Supreme Court era to make the opposite point -- that the high court isn't as all-powerful as people think.What if the high court had ruled against the separate but equal doctrine, he asks, and banned segregation laws throughout America? Most white Americans would have ignored the decision, he says, because white supremacy was too ingrained."You think that would have mattered one whit in practice?" he says. "The court absolutely eviscerated civil rights laws in the late 19th century in part because white Americans had no interest in them."Power, he says, ultimately belongs to the people."I think we're in for some really tough times," he says. "In the short turn there's going to be some bad stuff. But in the long run it's up to voters."Epps shares some of that optimism. He says the United States will eventually have to embrace "its demographic destiny" because of the browning of America. But it can't thrive if it restricts the rights of racial minorities whose talents it will need to prosper.Three ways MLK speaks to our timeBut it's what happens in the short term that worries him."We could have a serious transition problem," Epps says. "We could have a white-run minority political system resisting successfully, for quite a long time, the transition to a multiracial system. There could be a lot of suffering, a lot of lost opportunities for our society and for young people of all races."If that dystopian period becomes permanent, though, all bets are off. The three great laws of the civil rights movement would no longer inspire poetic tributes celebrating the nation's march toward King's Beloved Community.Instead they'd become discredited legal relics from an era of optimism that would seem even further away than it does today.	3news
Jerusalem (CNN)Audacious Mossad spy operations around the world. The plucky "startup nation" home to reams of billion-dollar ideas. These are two drivers of Israel's image abroad that its political and business leaders have long been happy to push.That slick image appears to have taken a hit with new reports that once again Israeli-founded technology, like the Pegasus software from the firm NSO, has been used by governments around the world to allegedly hack the cellphones of human rights activists, journalists and others. NSO and its defenders say its software is meant only to catch terrorists and other criminals, saying it regularly saves lives and operates under strict export controls.The company says it doesn't control what its clients do with the software, but follows Israeli laws on exporting military-grade technology, is selective in vetting its customers and cuts off access if it discovers misuse. But the recent revelations by an international consortium of media and human rights groups about Pegasus, have thrown the spotlight back on both the company and Israel. Now, as many consider the morality and legality of such programs, there are calls from both inside Israel as well as in the international community about how better to regulate the cyber-espionage market. Read MoreA perfect marriage of spycraft and technologyIsrael's dominance in the cybersecurity field did not occur in a vacuum. The country's intelligence and covert operations divisions, especially its Mossad security force, have long had a storied reputation for engaging in cunning, daring and ruthless espionage, burnished by Hollywood depictions.As Israel's prominence as a hub of technological innovation and startup grew, the two areas converged to give the tiny country an outsized influence in the cybersecurity industry. The country's well-resourced education system, plus the compulsory military service, brings scores of young Israelis into high-level training in cybersecurity and cyberwarfare before many of them even go to university, according to Tal Pavel, Head of Cybersecurity studies at The Academic College of Tel-Aviv Yaffo. Much of the country's most cutting-edge technology has its roots in military development, Pavel noted. Daughter of detained man behind 'Hotel Rwanda' says she was spied on by Israeli softwareOne of the most elite units of the Israel Defense Forces is the secretive Unit 8200, the cyber spy agency that has produced some of the country's biggest tech super stars."One of the unique things in Israel, is the 'cynergy,' the bringing together of cyber and synergy between industries," Pavel told CNN, before alluding to a characteristic he says is perhaps rooted in the Israeli psyche. "There is also something here ... maybe there is also the struggle to survive. If everything is happy and you're not constantly trying to survive (against people trying to destroy you), you don't have to innovate, to cope."NSO falloutNSO was founded in 2009, but it wasn't until 2016 that the power of NSO's technology came under scrutiny.It was in that year that reports emerged that Emirati human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor received suspicious text messages with links, that researchers at Citizen Lab in the University of Toronto revealed contained malware from NSO that would have hacked his iPhone. (In 2018 Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "damaging the reputation" of the UAE on social media.)Pegasus Project: Why 17 news outlets are working together to cover spyware on a mass scalePegasus software was also allegedly connected to the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi via fellow dissident Omar Abdulaziz, whose phone was allegedly hacked through Pegasus software. Abdulaziz sued NSO in 2019, accusing the company of violating international law by selling the software to oppressive regimes. Early last year an Israeli judged rejected NSO's request to dismiss the lawsuit, which NSO had argued was lacking "good faith," according to The Guardian. NSO has repeatedly denied its software was used to monitor Khashoggi or his family.The recent investigation by the international media and human rights consortium found evidence of Pegasus software on 37 phones belonging to people who, based on the company's own description of the software's purpose, shouldn't have been targets of NSO software, like journalists and human rights activists.CNN has not independently verified the findings of that investigation, named Pegasus Project, which was organized by Forbidden Stories. In a statement to CNN, NSO strongly denied the investigation's findings saying it found fault with many of its assertions.As a result, countries like France have announced probes into the use of the technology, while Amazon announced they had "shut down the relevant infrastructure and accounts" linked to NSO that used Amazon services. Tip of the icebergNSO is simply one part of a vast industry of cyber espionage, according to Israel Bachar, a strategy and communications consultant who has worked with many of Israel's top political leaders, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. "Let's be honest, intelligence is being gathered by states against each other constantly. Everyone spies on everyone. And when it comes to an Israeli company there's a lot of hypocrisy," Bachar said, pointing to previous revelations about the US National Security Agency spying on world leaders and its own citizens. "NSO is another tool but there are many other tools." Amazon Web Services disables cloud accounts linked to NSO GroupBeyond its actual capabilities, companies like NSO also help Israel diplomatically, Bachar said, as Israel has for years quietly, and now publicly, cultivated relationships with former adversaries. "One of the tools that Israel uses diplomatically is its ability in intelligence. It's not a secret that Israel is sharing sensitive intelligence even with Arab countries because we have an interest in protecting them," Bachar said. But Professor Yuval Shany, chair of the public international law department at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says the tactic is starting to backfire on Israel's image. "The logic is Israel may be willing to turn a blind eye to transactions that are conducted with friendly regimes in the sense that they are friendly to Israel but not necessarily friendly to human rights," Shany said. "I think this recent scandal, which is quite embarrassing both for NSO but also for Israel, would lead at least in the short run to some tightening of export controls standards." How to control the uncontrollableUnlike conventional weapons, software is often intangible and can easily be sold and transferred across the globe, making attempts to control technology like the Pegasus system difficult. NSO and similar military-grade technology is regulated by an export control structure within Israel's Ministry of Defense, Shany said. This system looks both at the technology and the target; which entity -- either state or non-state -- is purchasing this technology including its human rights record, he added. But, Shany said, looking at the allegations around NSO's Pegasus software, "the results are not impressive, it's quite concerning."In response to the most recent allegations around NSO technology, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said they are "studying" the claims, while an interministerial team has been appointed to look into the current process and whether Israeli-made technology was being misused abroad, according to Reuters.JUST WATCHEDJust spyware? It's a potential 'cyberweapon'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHJust spyware? It's a potential 'cyberweapon' 14:36A quick fix, Shany said, would be for Israel to formally sign onto the Wassenaar Arrangement between 42 countries, which tries to bring transparency to the export of military and dual-use technology and attempts to prevent such technology from being acquired by dangerous elements. Shany said Israel currently adheres to the agreement but is not a formal member. But the most important reforms to help controlling such technology will come from within, said Karine Nahon, a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and President of the Israel Internet Association. "If Israel doesn't export it someone else would, if you don't give those engineers and startup licenses and provide a kind of supervision nothing stops them from moving to another country and selling it from there," she said. Nahon is calling for the ethical consideration and the possibility such technology will be exploited to become a more significant part an export decision. And, she suggested, the companies should place more limitations on the software's use and have more oversight into how their clients are using the software -- something NSO says it has little control over."NSO does not operate the system and has no visibility to the data," the company said in a statement last week, saying it will continue to investigate "all credible claims of misuse and take appropriate action based on the results" of such investigations.WhatsApp sues Israeli company over cyberattack that it says targeted journalists, dissidents and diplomats"It makes it more complicated in terms of the responsibility of these companies and Israel but on the other hand it might minimize the number of countries this software is being exported to," Nahon said. Even though it may seem like NSO and Israel's image is being dragged through the mud for its connection to such alarming surveillance, Bachar said overall it could have a positive effect for those who want to continue burnishing Israel as a leader in advanced technology and intelligence operations. "I think sometimes people come to curse and the outcome is there is a blessing because what happened at the end of the day, people remember that the best technology is Israeli technology, NSO," Bachar said. "That's what people three months from now will remember."	0business